After captivating audiences across Asia with its spring-time run in Tokyo, the Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition opened two weeks ago at the former Battersea Power Station, now housing exhibition spaces, in London.
The exhibition hosts a collection of more than 180 artefacts of King Ramses II and his monuments from Memphis to Thebes and Abu Simbel that defined Egypt’s New Kingdom.
Rather than following a strictly chronological timeline, the exhibition moves thematically from kingship and conquest to ritual, devotion, and the promise of the afterlife. Colossal sculptures loom in semi-darkness; gilded coffins and funerary masks emerge from pools of light; and jewellery glints against jewel-toned backdrops.
Dimmed corridors heighten anticipation before opening into rooms bathed in warm gold and royal purple, colours chosen to evoke both divinity and opulence. Spotlights isolate each artefact, drawing out the shimmer of gold and the translucence of polished stone.
Multimedia elements are integrated into the design. Projections and short films contextualise the reign of Ramses II, recounting his military campaigns and monumental building projects. Interactive installations and virtual-reality experiences transport visitors beyond the gallery walls towards the soaring façades of Abu Simbel Temples in Aswan and the painted splendour of Queen Nefertari’s tomb in Thebes.
Small objects are displayed in intimate cases that encourage visitors to look closely, before the space opens up to reveal large statues that fill entire rooms.
Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy inaugurated the exhibition, describing it as a powerful example of Egypt’s cultural diplomacy. For him, the show is not merely a display of ancient artefacts, but a living dialogue between civilisations and proof that the legacy of ancient Egypt continues to inspire audiences across the world.
The event drew diplomats, British officials, MPs, representatives of the monarchy, cultural figures, business leaders, and members of the Egyptian community in the UK. London marks the seventh international stop on the exhibition’s global tour, the first in Houston in 2021 and then in major cities worldwide from San Francisco to Paris and Tokyo.
Speaking at the press conference at the London opening, Fathy emphasised that Egypt’s exhibitions abroad form part of a broader strategy to promote the country as a destination of exceptional diversity. Such exhibitions serve as an open invitation to experience Egypt firsthand, particularly at a time when the country is investing heavily in museum development and infrastructure, most notably the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).
Hisham Al-Leithi, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), highlighted the historical weight of the exhibition’s central figure. Ramses II, he explained, embodied military power, architectural vision, and human depth, qualities reflected in the 180 objects on display, which range from golden treasures discovered at Tanis to recent finds from Saqqara.
Al-Leithi said that every artefact travels under strict conservation and security standards, with revenues directed back into restoration and preservation projects across Egypt. Among them is the ongoing reconstruction of the first pylon of Ramses II’s mortuary temple on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor.
ICONIC WORKS: The exhibition includes a collection of 10 artefacts, including a limestone colossus of Ramses II standing tall and holding a mekes, a cylindrical document case used to store papyrus scrolls. He is wearing the nemes, the striped headdress reserved for the Pharaohs, and he sports a false beard, a symbol of divine kingship. Additionally, he carries a dagger, tucked into the belt of his pleated skirt.
This is the second time this statue has been exhibited abroad.
The funerary mask of King Amenemope, also on display at the exhibition, is crafted from thick sheets moulded to capture the king’s facial features. It is composed of gold, wood, bronze, carnelian, and lapis lazuli. Resting on the king’s forehead is the uraeus, the regal cobra symbolising divine authority and protection. The mask dates back to the 21st Dynasty of the Third Intermediate Period.
A third object is the funerary mask of Wendjebauendjed, a distinguished officer in the service of the Pharaoh Psusennes I during the 21st Dynasty, which radiates a sense of serenity and dignity. Crafted from gold, the mask was designed to preserve an idealised portrait of the deceased. The eyes, accentuated with glass inlays, add depth and lifelike detail.
The ostracon of Ramses IV, a fourth object, unearthed in the Valley of the Kings, is carved in limestone and inscribed with drawings depicting the king in his chariot, seizing his terrified enemies by the hair in a powerful representation of his military prowess.
The fifth object is the coffin of King Shoshenq II from the 22nd Dynasty, which originally contained delicate cartonnage adorned with gold leaf. The coffin portrays the king with the face of a falcon god, symbolising divine power. His arms are crossed over his chest, holding sacred sceptres, a sign of his royal authority. Surrounding him are depictions of goddesses and the sons of Horus, who safeguarded his vital organs in the afterlife.
The sixth object is a colossal head of Ramses II made of pink granite that was unearthed in 1888 at the Temple of Ptah in Memphis. Ptah, the creator god and patron deity of goldsmiths, held great importance during his reign. The head is adorned with the white crown symbolising Upper Egypt and features a false beard.
The evidence suggests that this sculpture may have been repurposed from an earlier royal statue, resized and re-carved to reflect Ramses II’s likeness. Its features, including slightly slanted eyes, a downward-curving tear duct, a hooked nose, and a subtle smile, align with the king’s well-known facial characteristics.
The seventh object is a greywacke statue of Ramses II, discovered in the Karnak cachette, portraying him with a bent left leg bent, while his right leg extended backwards, symbolising the act of making an offering to the gods.
In his hands, Ramses II holds a small naos, a shrine-like structure, above which are depictions of Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and what appears to be a child. The hieroglyphic inscription at their feet reads “Ramses, beloved of Amun”. Such statues were commonly placed in temples, ensuring that the king’s offerings were eternally preserved.
The eighth object is a golden vase unearthed in the tomb of Psusennes I by French Egyptologist Pierre Montet in 1940. Among the gold and silver artefacts found, some pieces predated Psusennes I by centuries, including a brazier belonging to Ramses II and a gold ewer, known in ancient Egypt as a hes.
Such objects played a vital role in libation rituals and were used to pour water during religious ceremonies. A chiselled inscription on the front reveals that it was dedicated to Ahmose, the first king of the 18th Dynasty (c 1550 BC), and reads “the perfect god Ahmose, just of voice, beloved of Osiris, lord of Abydos”.
The ninth object is a granodiorite bust of Ramses II unearthed in the Temple of Amun in Tanis, a city built using stones from Piramesse, the Pharaoh’s former capital. It was once part of a larger statue depicting Ramses II seated on a throne similar to one housed in the Egyptian Museum in Turin.
The exquisite craftsmanship reflects the artistic style of the early years of Ramses II’s reign, influenced by the refined aesthetics of his father, Seti I. The delicate rendering of the king’s physique beneath the sheer linen garment is a hallmark of this period. Ramses II is depicted holding a heqa sceptre, shaped like a shepherd’s crook and symbolising his rule. His adornments include a headband featuring the uraeus cobra, a broad usekh necklace, and a bracelet decorated with a wedjateye, an ancient symbol of protection and divine power.
The 10th object is a mirror that belonged to Princess Sithathoriunet, believed to be the daughter of Sesostris II of the 12th Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom. It was discovered in her tomb at Al-Lahun near Fayoum. The mirror is composed of gold, silver, electrum, and obsidian and is testament to the skill of Egyptian goldsmiths. The highly polished silver disc is mounted on an obsidian handle, shaped like a papyrus stem, a symbol of life and renewal.
Beneath the papyrus umbel, the head of Hathor, the goddess of love, music, and intoxication, is rendered. Her distinctive cow ears and lapis lazuli-inlaid eyes enhance the mirror’s symbolism.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 19 March, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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