Upper part of the gigantic statue of Ramses II discovered in Egypt

A joint Egyptian-American archaeological mission has found the upper part of a huge statue of Pharaoh Rameses II. This happened during excavations south of the Egyptian city of Minya, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said.

The limestone block is about 3.8 meters high and depicts a seated Rameses wearing a double crown and a royal serpent-shaped headdress, said Bassem Jihad, head of the mission’s Egyptian team.

The top of the statue’s rear column shows hieroglyphics glorifying the king, one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs, he said.

Combined with the lower part, found decades ago, the statue reaches seven meters in height.

Studies have confirmed that the upper part of the statue corresponds to the lower part discovered by German archaeologist Gunther Roeder in 1930, said Mustafa Waziri, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The other part was found by the German archaeologist Gunther Roeder, in 1930, during excavations in the city of Hermopolis Magna, or Ashmunein in Arabic.

The news was revealed on March 4 by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

“This is not only a wonderful opportunity to have another huge statue of the famous king, but also to contribute to the general understanding and fill gaps in our data on the vast documentation of statues of Ramesses II,” said Salima Ikram, professor of Egyptology. at the American University in Cairo, at The National newspaper.

“From each discovery we are able to trace changes in style over the course of his very long reign.”

The researchers say the discovery was a surprise, as they were looking for traces of a religious complex from the later period of that Empire.

“Even though we didn’t find the complex we were initially looking for, a statue of such importance is a sign that we are digging in the right place,” Adel Okasha, an antiquities official who oversaw the excavation, told the National.

The city of Ashmunein, nicknamed the “City of Eight”, welcomed a German expedition between 1929 and 1939. Archaeologists made important discoveries as well as part of the statue of Ramesses II, bringing to light part of the temple of Thoth – the Egyptian god revered by the inhabitants of the city.

Now the team is busy building a model that reflects the original appearance of the statue. Researchers also expect new findings in the region.

Known as “Ramses II, the Great,” the monarch is one of the most important figures of the Egyptian dynasty, having ruled the country for the longest period of the New Kingdom, which preceded the Roman occupation of the place.

He led the various expeditions. This reflected his vision of a great nation and gave him the title “ruler of rulers”, not to mention the fact that at that time Egypt was at the height of power.

Furthermore, Ramesses reigned over Egypt for 66 years, being the first pharaoh to remain in power for the longest period.

This great pharaoh is also remembered for the number of wives and children he had. Although historians cannot estimate the exact number, they assume it is closer to 162 children.

His grandfather, Ramesses I, was a general of Horemeb, the last king of the 18th Dynasty, who appointed him as his successor.

It is believed that at least ten years before his father’s death, Ramesses II was already married to Nefertari and Iseteneferte. The first would be the most important and famous of the numerous wives that Ramesses had until his death.

Ramesses II was born around 1303 BC into an ordinary Egyptian family. He was the son of Pharaoh Sethi I and Queen Tuya. Ramesses was named after his grandfather, Ramesses I, who raised his non-royal family to royal rank thanks to his military prowess.

Ramesses II grew up in the royal palace of Egypt, where he was educated and trained by his father. He had this privilege because his father became pharaoh when Ramesses was only 5 years old.

After his father’s death, Rameses was crowned pharaoh of Egypt in 1279 BC, when he was just 25 years old. He is known to have considerable command over the Egyptian army.

Therefore, he was able to wage fierce battles to protect the Egyptian borders against the Nubians, Syrians, Libyans, and Hittites. Ramesses II performed many successful deeds and brought peace and prosperity to his people.

In 1281 BC, Ramesses captured the Sherden Sea pirates who had become a major threat to Ancient Egypt’s maritime activities.

But Ramesses’ most famous battle remains the Battle of Kadesh, which was fought against a more substantial enemy: the Hittite Empire.

Finally, in 1258 BC, Ramesses offered to sign and fulfill one of history’s first great peace treaties with the Hittites. This made him the first ruler in the world to sign a peace treaty.

Recognized throughout the world as a great builder, Ramesses II was greatly fascinated by architecture. During his 66-year reign, he built and rebuilt numerous monuments, structures and temples.

Among the works completed by Ramesses II are the hypostyle hall of the temple of Carnaque in Thebes and his father’s funerary temple in Abydos

He died at the age of 90 due to “Arthritis” and was first buried in the Valley of the Kings, on the west bank of Luxor, in tomb KV7.

The pharaoh’s mummy was found in a collective tomb in Deir Elbari in 1881. In 1885 it was placed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo where it still remains today.

In 1974, Egyptologists at the Egyptian Museum noticed that the condition of Ramesses II’s mummy was deteriorating rapidly. Then they took her to Paris, where a complete inspection and medical examination were carried out. The former pharaoh was given an Egyptian passport, which indicated his profession as king of Egypt (deceased).