Ramesses II
Attribution: cardbush
1303 BC - 1213 BC
Ramesses II, son of Seti I and his wife Tuya, was born in 1303 BC and is perhaps the most famous of the Egyptian Pharaohs. As a child he was crowned Prince Regent of Egypt and ascended the throne as the third king of the 19th Dynasty at the age of 25. Ramesses II ruled the Egyptian Empire from approximately 1279 - 1212 BC, and later became known as Ramesses 'the Great'. His most remarkable achievements included building more temples and fathering more children than any other Egyptian king. Alhough the exact number cannot be confirmed, Ramesses II is thought to have had at least 100 children. He also lived in to his 90s, which in itself was a significant achievement.
He founded a new capital, Piramesse in the eastern Delta, which remained the royal residence throughout the Ramesside period. He built a vast number of temples throughout Egypt and Nubia. The most famous of these are the rock cut temple at Abu Simbel, and his mortuary temple at Thebes, the Ramesseum. The tomb of his principal wife, Nefertari, at Thebes is one of the best preserved royal tombs. The tomb of many of his sons has also recently been found in the Valley of the Kings. Ramesses II was buried in the Valley of the Kings and his body was found in the Deir el-Bahari cache.
For Ramesses II, the most momentous event in his reign was the battle of Kadesh, fought against the Hittites. On his monuments, the battle was commemorated as a great victory. However, the Hittite account, found at their capital, Hattusas, suggests that the battle was closer fought.
Blogpost
Also read
by Wild-Dream Films
by Aidan Dodson, Dyan Hilton
by Carolyn Graves-Brown