Fodor's Expert Review Ramesseum

The mortuary temple of Ramses II is one of the many monuments built by the king who so prolifically used architecture to show his greatness and celebrate his divinity. The temple is a typical New Kingdom construction, with two pylons, two courtyards, and a hypostyle hall, followed by chapels and a sanctuary. Between the first and second courtyards, track down the broken colossus of the pharaoh that would have been 18 meters (62 feet) tall when it stood. This figure is said to have inspired Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ozymandias," though he never saw the statue himself.

Big tour groups often skip this spot, leaving you to wander through the columns of the hypostyle hall in peace.  Tickets cannot be purchased on site, so get yours at the Antiquities Inspectorate ticket office before you visit.