An Owl a Day

Ramses the Great (Ramses II) 1279 BC – 1213 BC

Probably the most well regarded Pharaoh of Egypt, considered the most powerful and most celebrated
He took the throne in his teens
He spent his early reign building temples and cities, and moved the capital to Pi-Ramesses
Later in life he lead many many successful battle campaigns to Nubia, Syria, Libya, and many other countries
He built more than almost any other pharaoh, and took credit for many buildings his predecessors had made
Famously, he built the complex Abu Simbel and the temple Ramesseum. He also built Nefertiti’s (who was his consort) tomb. Lastly, there is a colossal statue of himself that is 82 tons of stone.
Ramesses died at the age of 90, making him one of the longest lived pharaohs ever
Ramesses’s mummy has survived the test of time due to some tomb hopping of priests who were attempting to save the body from looters. The head was probably knocked off during mummification, so it was reattached with a piece of wood, making the neck look unnaturally thin. It is on display in Cairo’s Egyptian Musuem.

Nov

2011