The statue of Pharaoh Ramses II, created in the 13th century BCE from red granite, is an outstanding creation of ancient Egyptian sculptors. Celebrating the ideal pharaoh, the monument embodies the splendor of art that flourished precisely under Ramses II. He was the third king of the 19th Dynasty, a wise man who understood the importance of culture for the country. To adorn the kingdom, he built temples and palaces with luxurious colonnades throughout Egypt.Ramses II conquered Syria, waged a long war against the Hittite kingdom, and, having defeated the Hittites, maintained peace through marriage. Although Ramses’s first and principal wife was Nefertari Merenmut, he also married two Hittite princesses.Ramses II reigned for 67 years, dying in 1212 BCE, outliving twelve of his sons and passing the throne to the thirteenth—Merenptah.Ramses was undoubtedly ambitious; he was flattered that even during his lifetime he was deified, being called the sun on earth. And even after his death, his cult lived on in Egypt for another entire millennium.
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