He will inherit the empire constituted by its distant predecessor, Touthmôsis III and strengthened by his father Seti I. His kingdom stretched from the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, to the east, to Libya to the west, Sudan, South and the islands of the Aegean, in the north. He was married to six times, including once with her sister and three times with her daughters. His harem will be no fewer than two hundred concubines that will give it a total of more than a hundred children.

He will lead more than twenty military campaigns and allow Jews to return to Promised Land. The Battle of Qadesh on the banks of the Orontes in Syria, circa 1285 BC, is his weapon is the most striking. He will oppose the new king of Egypt to Mouwatalli, king of the Hittites, who had come to a coalition more than twenty people to take control of the region. Many times represented on the bas-reliefs to the glory of the pharaoh, this battle is described in detail in a long epic poem known as Penthaour.

Ramses II was at the head of an army of 20,000 men, including tanks and infantry, consisting of four divisions bearing the names of Amon, Prę, Ptah and Séti and separated from each other by a few kilometers. The Pharaoh was in the first of them. The Hittites mčneront a victorious offensive against the second division and anéantiront to separate Ramses II to the rest of his troops. Circled by a much more powerful army that his division, the Pharaoh would be invoked God and his father, Amon, said: “Amon, what happens then? A father forgets her son does? I am alone absolutely alone in the middle of countless barbaric. me My soldiers abandoned en masse, I am calling you because I know qu’Amon is more powerful than millions of soldiers. ” The god he would have replied: “Forward, forward, I am with you, me your father, my lord of victory, and I love the courage.”

The Penthaour reports that Ramses II reportedly opposed alone héroďque resistance to the thousands of soldiers he had to face. He sent to hold the position sufficient time for the division Ptah come to the rescue and put the enemy in disarray. In reality, this battle will not victor and the two sides to reach a peace treaty that will be respected during near half a century. The Pharaoh would agree to take the girl Mouwatalli wife as a gesture of goodwill. In the fictional version to the glory of the pharaoh, it appears as a superhuman hero. He said then: “I am become the equal of the god Montu. Fired my cursor to the right hand and I hit his left hand. Baal I was like in its fury, I was opposed to me 2500 pairs of horses that have been decimated under the feet of my destriers … Not an enemy had raised their hands to fight. heart has failed them, the members have failed, they could not take advantage and had more the strength to handle the spear … I dropped like crocodiles fall to the water. they have collapsed, the head forward, s’entassant on each other. I killed all according to my desire “.

When accčde to power after the death of Seti I, the capital of the Empire, Luxor, has lost many of its prerogatives. The father of Pharaoh began moving in several organs of power in Upper Egypt, close to the delta. Ramses II continue this trend and create a new town, named Pi-Ramses (the area of Ramses), which could correspond to the present city of San al-Hajar, the ancient capital of the Hyksos then called Tanis. Grand builder, the pharaoh undertake many projects through to the whole country, not hesitating sometimes to enlarge existing monuments and assign them to paternity. He will command a large number of colossal statues to his effigy, the representative in the prime of life and flawless physique. His mummy, very well-preserved teeth reveal a dilapidated, a long hooked nose. Moreover, the king was suffering from heart failure and arthritis to the hip.

It will contribute to the rebirth of the city of Memphis where one of his sons was the grandfather of Amon prętre and will build a colossus of ten meters in height. It will expand, to the example of many pharaohs, the temple of Karnak by adding a courtyard forty pillars osiriaques temple and a smaller preceded by a huge pylon and giants. It will cover cartridges Ramses I and Seti I in the hypostyle hall by his order to reveal the instigator. Tampering, very flawed, leaves no doubt as to the attempted fraud. The Battle of Qadesh is carved in bas-relief on the wall outside of this room. His contribution to the temple of Luxor lies in the elevation of a tower with a width of 65 metres, also covered with a bas-relief of the Battle of Qadesh, as well as in the creation of six colossal statues of 15 metres height. There will erect two obelisks which one, which is now Place de la Concorde in Paris, will be offered to France by Muhammad Ali in 1831.

The King commission for the temple to worship her funeral in the Valley of the Kings, the Ramesseum, naturally burned a representation of the battle of Qadesh and with a colossal statue of today collapsed 18 meters of height and a weighing more than 1,000 tons, the largest known to date.

It achčvera the work of the Temple of Osiris at Abydos in which it is represented in the company of all his predecessors since Ménčs and interact with the gods on a series of pillars. The construction of the temples of Abu Simbel, saved from the water after the construction of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile, is one of the essential elements of the role as a builder of the Pharaoh. Four colossal statues of 21 metres height guard the entrance to the great temple dug at the same cliff. The king is represented, to the Interior, in the guise of Osiris. The small temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and to Nefertari, first wife of the king. The facade is decorated six colossal 10 metres tall carved in the rock. Four of them represent the king and queen two.

The king’s tomb was discovered in a cemetery on the hill overlooking the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. A team of American archaeologists discovered a tomb nearby gigantic containing 67 burial chambers. Among the objects and inscriptions found on the spot, it could be the tomb of the sons of the pharaoh. The Empire will not stand to his death. Provinces rebelleront and neighbouring peoples lead many incursions.

Ramses III, which was the heir and the son of the great spiritual Ramses II, strengthen the power of prętres and prepare a survey of temples in Egypt. At the military level, it will provide the country with a fleet of warships in charge of protecting the mouth of the Nile threatened by the peoples of the sea joined the Philistines. Ramses III meet in a naval battle it records on the walls of his temple Médinet-Habou.

Conflicts will not cease for almost eleven years, often won by the pharaoh who also mčnera two wars on the Western front against coalition troops Jamahiriya (Libou and Meshouesh). The Libyans rejected in the first instance by Mineptah, reappeared in the western Delta. They will be defeated by Ramses III intčgrera some of their troops to the Egyptian army. The second offensive, six years later, will result in the annihilation of the enemies are to be taken captive with women and children. Libyan communities are then in the country which will be progressively égyptiannisées. They will gather in chiefdoms who will take power when the country to sink again into anarchy.

Ramses part III campaigning in Asia, 12 in the year of his rčgne, to protect Syrian possessions. The country will, at the end of this period guerričre a new Era of prosperity. Ramses III will leave behind him the castle of millions of years located at Medinet Habu. Representations of pylons célčbrent the glory of the Pharaoh and Egypt victorious and the interior walls episodes of the feast of the god Min generator.

The plan for this temple repeats the Ramesseum. It will build to a broad Karnak temple in grčs yellow repository for boats of the triad thébaine, a temple dedicated to the goddess Mut and god Khonsu, and he will, no doubt, the construction of the temple of Khonsu. He also built to Pi-Ramses, Heliopolis, Memphis, Athribis, Hermopolis, Assiut, This, Abydos, Ombos, Coptos, Elbak, Nubia and Syria. Some economic problems, in the year 29 of his rčgne, lead workers in Deir el-Medina in grčve.

The king dismissed his vizier and must see to the regularity of the service rations paid to temples. These difficulties also betray a weakening of state power deal with clergy and temples areas. The rčgne s’achčvera by intrigues and conspiracies that have resulted from dynastic quarrels.

A second wife, Tiy, foments a conspiracy in the harem to put on the throne his son, Pentaouret. The minutes of the conspirators procčs brought under rčgne of Ramses IV until we have reached. The conspiracy meet a commander Nubian archers and a general, senior officials of the harem, a steward, a treasurer royal scribes, supervisors and women. We engage in the rites of envoűtement with wax figurines to sleep guards doors and give access to outside accomplices.

The soldiers involved to this coup d’etat soulčvement lead the troops. Doubtless betrayed, the culprits will be convicted and executed. The Pharaoh décčdera shortly after and will be buried in the tomb number 11 in the Valley of the Kings. The mummy was found that of a man of sixty-five years which seems died of natural causes.

Sacred temples unforgettable

A 2 km north of the Temple of Luxor on the banks of the Nile, the huge sanctuary of Karnak is composed of spectacular temples, pavilions, towers and obelisks dedicated to the worship of the triad thébaine (the gods Amon, and Mut Khonsu) and the glory of the pharaohs.
In the space of 2000 years, these temples were expanded, demolished, restored. Discovered in the mid-nineteenth century, Ipset-Isout, “the most perfect places” is a fascinating conundrum for Egyptologists. This term describes the centre of the world, the place where Amon, having established himself called to the existence things and beings. The site will know its true golden age in the New Kingdom.
This package covers about 1.5 km long. It is estimated that 80000 workers were coupled to the construction of temples under Ramses III. Previously, the entire chamber was covered with beautiful colored paintings.

“The complex is more important than the Temple of Amun who throne in the center of the site. It was once the center of religious and economic Egypt.
The entrance is through an alley of Sphinx head of a ram and leading to the first pylon. Between their legs is a small figure of Ramses II. This driveway connects the Temple to a pier on the Nile.

You then walk in the courtyard. At left are the three chapels Temple II Séti dedicated to the triad thébaine. Columns aligned along the walls and located to the right of the Temple of Ramses III. He hid the boats of the sacred triad thébaine. At the center of the court, shall be held and an altar column booth Taharqa, pharaoh of the XXV Nubian dynasty.

At the bottom of this court, in front of the large hypostyle hall, an impressive statue of Ramses II to its feet with one of his daughters guarding the entrance. This room is a real masterpiece and probably the highlight of the visit. The huge room had been supported by 134 columns giant painted brightly coloured hair and broad umbrella of papyrus.
You then go through the sanctuary of the holy boat to arrive at the central courtyard where the wall of records built to the glory of Tuthmosis III.

ater, you enter the great temple built by Jubilee Tuthmosis III. He wanted to remove all traces of Queen Hatshepsut. He then build walls high 25 yards around two splendid obelisks of Hatshepsut. The botanical garden, no roof, featuring bas-reliefs representing a flora and fauna alien from Syria and Palestine.
The Temple of Ptah hides a magnificent statue headed lioness of black granite representing the terrible goddess Sekhmet.
To the east lies the sacred lake in which priests are purifiaient before performing their rituals in the temple. In the north, a huge stone scarab is due to Amenhotep III. Legend has it that if you turn around once the beast, you have the chance, and three times you married seven times and you will be likely to have a child.

“Connected to the Temple of Amun by an alley Sphinx, the field of Mut, wife of Amon, was built by Amenhotep III. It houses the remains of a temple dedicated to Mut. 700 statues of the goddess Sekhmet once decorated the scene and received for two of them, offering morning and evening.

“On the other hand, a portal that leads to the Temple of Montu, warrior god headed falcon. Unfortunately, this building is more than a heap of stones.

The open-air museum

It has several monuments quite spectacular with white chapel of Senusret I, the Chapel of Hatshepsut red and alabaster chapel of Amenhotep III.

Calm and eternity

On the banks of the Nile, stands the majestic Egyptian temple built under Amenhotep III, a pharaoh of the New Empire (circa 1300 BC). It was built on the site of the shrine of Hatshepsut even older. The latter was the place of worship of the gods Amon, Mut and Khonsu. Once a year, these elders were celebrating gods at the party Opet. The effigies of gods up the Nile of the Karnak temple in Luxor that up to regenerate their power. This religious holiday was the occasion for celebration throughout the country. Then Amenhotep transformed this temple in Ipet Resyt, “the harem south.” 100 years later, the building was fully completed by Tutankhamun and Ramses II.

This temple is very similar to that of Karnak by its elegant statues and columns. Before arriving at the entrance, you must go through an avenue lined with two rows of Sphinx, the guardians of the world and lower doors of the temple. This avenue linking formerly Luxor temple to that of Karnak located 2 km.

Admission is composed of the famous tower, added by Ramses II, whose bas-reliefs representing the Pharaoh’s military exploits, including during the Battle of Kadesh. Two colossal statues of Ramses II sitting dignified stand in front of the temple. An obelisk is planted, only when his sister was offered to France in 1833 by Mohammed Ali. It now adorns the Place de la Concorde in Paris.

You finally arrive on the big courtyard in which alternating columns and colossal lotus pink granite. To the west lies the temple dedicated to the worship of Amun, Mut and Khonsu. To the east, note the only building painted white, a strange fourteenth century mosque built by the Arabs.

Travel through the colonnade Amenhotep III consists of 14 huge columns and retracing the Feast of Opet. You arrive on the court and sunny Amenhotep III that leads to the hypostyle hall and the hall of the birth.
Beyond the chapel offerings, used by the Romans as a place of worship, is the sanctuary of the solar boat, built by Alexander the Great and bearing the likeness of the god Amon at its annual outing.