Ramses II; Greek: α μ έσ η, (February 21, 1303 BC - July 1213 BC) The son of Seti I, the third pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, was an outstanding politician, military strategist, writer, poet, and architect. His reign was the last period of strength of the New Kingdom of Egypt, and he was known by historians as Ramses the Great. Ramses II carried out a series of expeditions during his lifetime to restore Egypt's rule over Palestine. He had a conflict of interest in Syria with another powerful empire of his time, Hittite. Both sides engaged in a famous battle in 1285 BC (the Battle of Cardinals). And signed a treaty with the Hittite Empire in 1283 BC. In approximately 1258 BC, the king of the Hittite Kingdom passed away, and the new king Hadusuil III succeeded to the throne. The two countries signed a peace treaty and became a military alliance. The Egyptian Hittite Treaty can be said to be the first famous international agreement in history, and its Egyptian and Hittite texts have been preserved and discovered by modern archaeologists. Perhaps out of concern for the military power of the Hittites, Ramses II ordered the construction of a new city as the capital in the northeast Nile Delta and named it Pel - Ramses means (House of Ramses) Ramses II may be Egypt's most famous pharaoh. His passion for massive civil engineering left his mark on various parts of Egypt: he built many temples in Abidos and Latin America; Add new structures to the temples of Karnak and Luxor; The temple of Abu Simbel, known for its grandeur, was built. Many buildings built by the previous pharaohs were also inscribed with his name. Ramses II had a large family. When he passed away at the age of over 90, he had become a representative figure of Egypt.

One of the most famous pharaohs in ancient Egyptian history, he had a legendary life. He is a powerful king, an invincible general, an amiable father, and an tireless builder. Ramses II (Ramses II, Ramses the Great), who was crowned with these halos, reigned for about 67 years and still enjoys these accolades to this day. The enemy fears him, the subjects love him, and the gods bless him. Ramses II, who lived in the 19th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, left an indelible mark in human history. [3]
He reigned for 67 years, with 8 empresses and countless concubines; There are about 100 children, of which 12 have legitimate inheritance rights and all passed away before him; At that time, when the average life expectancy of ancient Egyptians was only over 40 years old, he lived to over 90 years old; I like to boast about my experiences and carve them on buildings. I always remember to have my deified statues standing in various parts of Egypt, side by side with the gods. The Battle of Kadeshi made him the victorious general in the hearts of his subjects; He used his diplomatic skills to sign contracts with the Hittites; As a highly renowned architect in ancient Egypt, he preserved the glory of his time for the world. These legendary experiences and distinct personalities are all concentrated in him - hailed by historians as the most famous pharaoh Ramses II in ancient Egyptian history. [3]
Ramses II is undoubtedly one of the most important pharaohs in Egyptian history. However, his reign was already the eve of Egypt's decline, and the enormous expenses of the country accelerated the decline in national strength. After the death of Ramses II, ancient Egypt quickly embarked on a downhill path.
Ramses II was born on February 21, approximately 1303 BC. His father Seti I married Tuya, the daughter of a brave and skilled general, as his queen. They had four children, two sons and two daughters, living together. But the eldest son died young, which allowed Ramses to ascend to the throne smoothly. He started studying at the "Pharaoh School" at a very young age, served in the military at the age of 10, and his father took him to war at the age of 15 to ensure that he would become a wise and brave king in the future.
Ramses II did not spend much time learning many things, especially the two skills necessary as a king: conquering enemies through military means and building a palace. He achieved success in both warfare and construction. Nowadays, there is no land in Egypt without his footprints.

When his father passed away, Ramses II was around 25 years old, but he already had enough ambition and tenacious self-awareness to surpass all his predecessors in his feats.
"Propaganda is his best weapon, which plays an important role in promoting his kingdom and mission," said Edda Bresciani, a professor of Egyptology at the University of Pisa in Italy. "A large number of statues and inscriptions tell people about the king's heroic deeds and courage, and his image has been passed down through the ages, still able to withstand the test of time."
Ramses II passed away in Pel Ramses in 1213 BC, and his body, which had been mummified for 70 days, was buried in the most solemn way that a great pharaoh could enjoy. At that time, the heir to the throne, his son Moniputa, led a large fleet of ships along the Nile River in an imperial boat to deliver his father's body to Thebes. Along the way, all the subjects and people shed tears as they bid farewell to this great pharaoh who brought them peace and prosperity. After the fleet arrived at the city of Thebes, the funeral procession advanced towards the tomb excavated in the Valley of the Kings. In addition to the coffin of Ramses II, there was also an endless treasure placed in the royal tomb that allowed Ramses II to live a wealthy life in the underworld. Finally, the entrance to the tomb was sealed to allow the pharaoh to peacefully rest. But things didn't go as planned. Decades later, all the treasures buried in the tomb were looted, and the mummy of Ramses was never peaceful again. The Egyptian clergy responsible for guarding had to move the mummies of the pharaohs multiple times to prevent tomb raiders from opening the bandages on the mummies and stealing the gold ornaments hidden inside. Around 1000 BC, the mummies of Ramses and several other pharaohs were hidden in the small town of Deirel Bahari near Thebes, in the temple of Hetsepsut. In 1881, it was discovered by French Egyptologist Gaston Maspero and ultimately placed in the National Museum of Egypt.
A bustling huge palace, colorful houses, and more than ten temples, all of which are aimed at showcasing a person's greatness.

Those who arrive at the city of Pel Ramses will marvel at the extraordinary beauty of this capital. The palaces, houses and the palace of Ramesses II himself burst out with brilliant colors, while historical recorders described it as a hall full of "beautiful balconies, paved with lapis lazuli and Türkiye stones." Every important place in the city has a temple: in the north there is a temple of Uto dedicated to the patron god of the ancient northern capital Buto, in the east there is the temple of the Asian goddess Astarte, in the south there is the temple of Seth, and in the west there is the temple of Amun. There is a military and official residential area in the city, as well as a hall for the ceremony of the pharaoh's succession; The busy port is constantly filled with ships carrying various goods, making Pel Ramses a major commercial center of the kingdom. But these prosperities have all disappeared today, and with the help of artifacts unearthed from the capital Avalis, which existed before Pel Ramses, people can only determine the accurate address of this city today.
For over two thousand years, this place has been an active "construction site", with many pharaohs building in the name of Amun: Ramses naturally will not let go of such an important religious center.
The architectural complex of Kanak consists of multiple religious buildings, whose construction spans from the Middle Dynasty to the Roman Empire era. The core of the architectural complex is the Temple of Amun Lada, which was initially designated as a sacred area of Thebes and later named the "City of Amun" by the residents. Nearby, a temple dedicated to the god of war, Montu, and a temple dedicated to the goddess Mut, Amun's wife, were also built. A 2-kilometer long "Sphinx Avenue" connects the Karnak Temple with the Luxor Temple in the south, which is also used to worship the god Amun. The Nile River also connects these two sacred cities, and during certain major festivals, statues of the god Amon are loaded onto ships and transported from Kanak to Luxor under the escort of a small boat.
Ramses was more diligent in building than any pharaoh in ancient Egypt, and during his reign, he ordered the construction of an incredible number of palaces, temples, statues, and monuments. Why did he do this?
Mainly through magnificent buildings to demonstrate one's rights and demonstrate their status as a living deity. To achieve his goals, he is willing to occupy some older buildings. Some ancient buildings were engraved with his own names after he repaired them, some were surrounded by buildings built in his name, and others were used as "material warehouses" for building new buildings after being demolished.

The Khafre pyramid in Giza was affected by this, and the entire piece of granite was dismantled for the construction of the Buta Temple in Memphis. The architectural style determined by Ramses was also used by him to showcase his greatness. For example, the temple is filled with majestic statues and stone pillars adorned with hieroglyphs and patterns, and the temple walls filled with depictions of religious and war scenes are all praising the king's holiness and achievements.
Ramses himself personally went to the construction site to inspect the progress of the project, and even went to the stone mining site to select the best materials.
Some inscriptions, such as those carved on the Eighth Stone Stele (now preserved in the National Museum of Egypt), record Ramses' words of encouragement and praise for the construction workers. Ramses was very concerned about their lives and never let them lack food, clothes, shoes, and fresh water, so that they could focus on doing their job well.
Ramses II's new construction project includes a new capital, which is as luxurious as the other two major cities in Egypt, Memphis and Thebes. This city, known as Pi Ramses (meaning "home of Ramses"), began to take shape in the fifth year of the pharaoh's reign and became his sleeping quarters. This city was built in Avaris, located in the eastern part of the Nile Delta, which was a place that made him feel very familiar, as his father's summer palace was built here. However, there must be other intentions behind this site selection. Egyptologist Ada Bresciani explained, "This is the hometown of Ramses, and obviously this is a major reason. In addition, the construction of the Pel Ramses here has military and strategic significance. This city is located close to the eastern border and is often invaded by foreign tribes, so it must be heavily defended. In addition, it is also an important commercial intersection connecting Egypt and Asia."
The new capital occupies a very fertile land, with abundant farmland, schools of fish and shrimp in the rivers, and warehouses filled with food. The residents of the city come from various territories of the kingdom, such as Libya, Nubia, Canaan, and Amrru. Many of them were former prisoners of war, but maintained friendly relations with the Egyptians, and everyone enjoyed a prosperous life here. More than a century after the death of Ramses, when the pharaohs of the 21st Dynasty (1069BC-945BC) decided to move their capital to the city of Tanis, the glory of Per Ramses dimmed, and many of the city's treasures were relocated to the new capital.

In The Amun Temple of Karnak (now considered one of Egypt's most important archaeological sites, it was once a prosperous religious center where pharaohs held coronation ceremonies), Ramses II also left his profound footprints. In the magnificent Amon Ra temple, he completed the construction of the stone pillar hall, which began during the reign of Amenhotep II (1427-1401 BC) and was continued during the Horembheb dynasty and the reign of Seti I. This building is truly a treasure of ancient architecture: it covers an area of over 5000 square meters, with 134 giant stone columns supporting the roof, especially the two rows of 12 ton pillars in the middle that are the thickest. Ramses had his walls decorated with reliefs depicting celebrations and ordered the excavation of a sacred lake that has been preserved to this day. The lake symbolizes the birthplace of all forms of life, where ceremonies are held to worship the sun god and Osiris god, and clergy are required to purify themselves before each ceremony.
The adjacent Luxor Temple was mostly completed during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III (1391-1353BC), and Ramses added a corridor supported by 72 stone pillars and a huge arch (a stone tower with a temple gate) to the existing building structure. The two rows of stone pillars were carved with decorative patterns, and the walls of the arch were carved with reliefs depicting the Battle of Cadiz. In front of these buildings, there are six huge statues with a face similar to Ramses and two obelisks, but only one obelisk remains in the Temple of Luxor, and the other was moved to the Place de la Concorde in Paris in 1836.
The above is only a partial example of Ramses creating enthusiasm, but to better understand his passion for celebration activities, it is necessary to visit the ruins of Ramses Palace.
Although only a small part of this palace still stands there, the entire architectural complex is undoubtedly the greatest building conceived by this pharaoh, located in the Thebes area on the left bank of the Nile River. This is a temple used for funerals, but its ultimate purpose is not to house Ramses' body, but to facilitate people's worship of him after his death.

The funeral city is surrounded by a high wall. In addition to the main hall, there are also workshops, shops, and even a school for training transcribers in the city. In this school, archaeologists have discovered some papyrus paper books. Finally, there is another interesting thing: in order to build this funeral city for himself, Ramses ordered the demolition of some materials from ancient buildings. This is precisely the treatment that this Ramses Palace later suffered: this palace, which had been passed down for generations because it represented Ramses' great cause, was later partially demolished because other kings wanted to build their own palaces.
The Temple of Abu Simble is considered Ramses' greatest work and a true treasure of ancient architecture. The four giant statues carved from the rocky mountains are 20 meters high, symbolizing the pharaoh sitting at the entrance of the palace. Now they have become symbols of Egyptian civilization. Professor Sergio Donadoni, one of the famous Egyptologists in Italy, explained, "This is truly an incredible building that brings the architectural elements of Egyptian classical architecture into the deep mountains."
This temple is built on a hillside with a depth of 60 meters. Its original intention was to worship the three main gods Amun, Ra, and Puta, but in reality, it only serves one "true god" - Ramses himself.
In addition to buildings on the ground, there is also a type of temple called rock cave temple excavated from cliffs. A typical cave temple is the Ramses II temple in Abu Simbel, located south of Aswan and close to the second waterfall of the Nile River. This temple is dedicated to the gods Amun, Lakharaketi, and Puta, and also commemorates Ramses II himself. It is actually a combination of a temple and a sacrificial temple. The rock cave temple in Abu Simbel is situated on the mountain and rocks, with openings carved into steep slopes. The facade of the temple may be called a pagoda gate, which is 32 meters high and 36 meters long. On both sides of the entrance to the pagoda gate are four seated statues of Ramses II, about 21 meters high. There is also a pillar hall and a place deep inside the temple where the three main deities and their carved seated statues are enshrined. The total length of the cave is 60 meters. Every year on the birthday of Ramses II on February 21st and the coronation day of Ramses II on October 21st, sunlight can pass through the 60 meter deep temple corridor and sprinkle on the statue of Ramses II. However, the statues around him do not enjoy the wonderful gift of the sun god, so people call Ramses II "the darling of the sun". Call this day "Sun Day". Due to the construction of the Aswan Dam, the temple site was relocated to a height of 65 meters, 201 meters away from the Nile River, starting in 1968. The "Sun Day" was also postponed by one day. More than 3000 years have passed, and this mystery, whether it was a coincidence or a carefully calculated wonder by ancient Egyptian architects, has yet to be deciphered.

Near the Abu Simbel Temple, there is also a smaller cave temple dedicated to his first queen Nefertari. On the front of the temple, there are six statues arranged, in addition to four of Ramses II, there are also two additional statues of Nefertari depicted as the god Hathor. Unfortunately, around the 24th year after ascending the throne, after the queen's death, construction never began and was not fully completed in the end.
But the fate of the Abu Simbel Temple was full of disasters. Shortly after its completion, an earthquake caused enormous damage to it, with many stone pillars and statues broken, including the entire upper part of the temple's facade. Most of the damaged areas were later repaired, but the architects at the time were helpless with the statue and could only let the fragments scatter nearby.
On the front of Abu Simbel, there is a marriage monument placed between Ramses II and the Hittite princess, Maathorneforce, the daughter of Hattoris III. It records the declaration of long-term peace between Hittite and Egypt, and is also engraved with inscriptions expressing his love for her. The inscription tells the story of Ramses II's infinite attachment to Matthenne Ferruli. In his eyes, she was incredibly beautiful, and he loved her more than anything, and he loved her more than anything！）”， This also left countless love legends for this foreign couple, who may have been nearly 30 years apart in age, in later generations.
Several centuries after the death of Ramses, the building was completely abandoned, and sand began to gradually bury it, leaving only the head and shoulders of the huge statue at the entrance exposed. In 1813, a Swiss scholar named Burckhardt discovered it, and after continuing to sleep for four years, the Italian Giovan Belzoni began excavating it. After several months of work, a road was finally paved through the sand and stones, and after thousands of years, someone was finally able to enter the interior of this temple.
After a long time, this magnificent temple, chosen by Ramses to represent his powerful power and divine mandate, finally faced the brink of extinction, almost permanently buried underwater. In 1960, Egyptian President Nasser began ordering the construction of the large Assuan reservoir, which would form an artificial lake approximately 500 kilometers long and turn many barren areas into fertile fields. This is a crucial project for the country, but it will represent; Many relics of the Egyptian pharaoh civilization are forever buried underwater, including the Temple of Abu Simbel, which has rapidly increased its popularity worldwide.

A rescue operation that has been recorded in history
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has issued a warning to the world, launching a truly life-saving operation. 113 countries around the world have extended a helping hand, providing manpower, funding, and technology to Egypt. The rescue plan aims to dismantle the Abu Simbel Temple into many pieces, and then reassemble these fragments at a height of 180 meters from the original site and 65 meters above the ground. The entire project took 5 years, utilizing over 2000 workers, tons of materials, and unprecedented resource technologies in archaeological history. Throughout the process, each piece is numbered for reassembly. The rebuilt temple remains in its original orientation, determined by the constellations and the direction of the Nile River after the completion of the Aswan Dam. The prominent peaks have also been restored to their original state, and the entire giant building block has finally been completed.