Giant statue of Ramesses II found in Egypt
Egyptian finds amaze the world (photo: Getty Images)
A joint Egyptian-American archaeological mission uncovered the upper part of the colossal statue of Ramesses II during excavations in the Minya Governorate, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt.
What to know about Ramesses II
Ramesses II the Great lived between 1314 and 1224 BCE. He reigned as the pharaoh of Egypt for 66 years, representing the third ruler of the nineteenth dynasty. He held notable authority among his subjects.
As an eminent leader of the Egyptian state, he conquered Palestine and Lebanon but lost a battle against the Hittites near the city of Kadesh. He married the daughter of the Hittite king Ḫattušili III to secure a peaceful treaty.
He fathered over 160 children with many women.
Under Ramesses II's rule, Egypt's power reached its peak. His name not only appeared in written records but also in oral traditions and legends.
He built numerous temples and statues across Egypt in his honor.
The four 20-meter statues of seated Ramesses II in Abu Simbel in the southern part of the country are considered the largest today.
Ramesses II's mummy, discovered in 1881, is displayed in a glass case at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Statue of Ramesses II from the city of Luxor in Upper Egypt (photo: en.wikipedia.org)
Recent discovery
The upper part of the great statue of Ramesses II was found by archaeologists during excavations of the ancient city of Hermopolis, located near the border between Upper and Lower Egypt near the modern city of El Ashmunein in Minya.
Known as Khemenu in the Old Kingdom period, the city was a central settlement in the province, second only to Thebes.
According to Mostafa Waziri, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the discovered part of the limestone statue is the "missing upper part" of the statue of Ramesses II found in the 1930s by the German archaeologist H. Reder.
Basem Jihad, head of the Egyptian delegation, clarifies that the discovered part of the statue is about 3.8 meters tall. It depicts Ramesses II wearing a double crown with a uraeus.
The upper part of the back pillar contains a series of hieroglyphic inscriptions describing the pharaoh's glorious titles.
With the lower part found previously combined, the sculpture may reach approximately 7 meters in height.
The upper part of the statue of Ramesses II was found by archaeologists (photo: mota.gov.eg)
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