The village of Mit Rahina on the site of ancient Memphis, with an open-air museum built around a colossal limestone statue of Ramesses II and a large alabaster sphinx.
Memphis was the capital of Egypt in the Old Kingdom, and it was home to the pharaohs who built the pyramids of Giza. Today the site is the village of Mit Rahina, on the west bank of the Nile in the Badrashin district of Giza, south of Cairo.
Little of the ancient city survives above ground. What visitors see is an open-air museum and lapidarium, a garden of stone fragments, built around a colossal statue of Ramesses II and a large alabaster sphinx.
It is the place that answers a simple question: where was the capital whose kings built the pyramids? Memphis explains why the pyramid fields at Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur sit where they do.
The Ramesses II colossus is the main attraction. It is a fallen limestone statue, and the sources we found disagree on its size, giving about 10 metres in one account and around 33 to 34 feet, without the lower legs, in others. The grounds also hold other large statues, including a standing colossal figure.
It is a short, easy stop that fits naturally on the way to or from Saqqara and Dahshur.
One source says Memphis was the capital of the first Old Kingdom after the unification of north and south by King Narmer. It stood for centuries as an administrative centre and the home of the cult of the god Ptah.
The temple of Ptah was once massive, but only ruins and scattered blocks remain. Most of the finds from the site have been sold, gifted or moved to museums elsewhere, many of them to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The colossus was discovered in 1820. According to one account, it was offered to the British Museum, which declined it because of the cost of transport.
Morning, when the garden is cooler. October to April is the comfortable season.
Opening hours: From 08:00, last entry 16:00 (09:00 and 15:00 in Ramadan). Ministry portal, checked 13 August 2026. Hours change, so confirm before you go.
Opening hours and ticket prices may change. Please confirm the latest details before visiting.
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