Once upon a time, in the sun-drenched lands of ancient Egypt, a mighty pharaoh named Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great, ruled over the vast kingdom. Born around 1303 BC, he ascended the throne at a young age, becoming the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Ramesses II was destined to become one of the most celebrated and powerful rulers of the New Kingdom, the golden age of ancient Egypt.
From an early age, Ramesses II displayed exceptional leadership qualities. At the tender age of fourteen, he was appointed prince regent by his father, Seti I. By his late teens, he assumed the throne and embarked on a reign that would last for 66 years and 2 months, from 1279 to 1213 BC. His reign was marked by military conquests, monumental constructions, and a legacy that would earn him the title “The Great Ancestor” among his successors and later Egyptians.
Ramesses II was not only a formidable warrior but also a master builder. He led several military expeditions into the Levant, reasserting Egyptian control over Canaan. His campaigns extended southward into Nubia, leaving a trail of inscriptions and monuments that commemorated his victories. His dedication to construction led to the establishment of the city of Pi-Ramesses in the Nile Delta, which served as his new capital and the main base for his campaigns in Syria.
Ramesses II’s achievements were not limited to his military prowess. He was a prolific builder who left an indelible mark on Egypt’s landscape. His reign saw the construction of numerous temples, cities, and monuments that still stand today as a testament to his grandeur. Among these were the magnificent temples at Abu Simbel, the Ramesseum, and his mortuary temple in Thebes.
In 1975, centuries after his death, Ramesses II’s mummy was examined by Maurice Bucaille, a French doctor, at the Cairo Museum. The examination revealed that the mummy was in poor condition, prompting the French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing to convince Egyptian authorities to send it to France for treatment. In September 1976, Ramesses II’s mummy arrived in Paris with full military honors befitting a king. It was then taken to a laboratory at the Musée de l’Homme for forensic testing.
Professor Pierre-Fernand Ceccaldi, the chief forensic scientist at the Criminal Identification Laboratory of Paris, conducted a series of tests on the mummy. He discovered that Ramesses II had been a ginger-haired individual with fair skin, a revelation that provided a fascinating glimpse into the pharaoh’s appearance. The microscopic inspection of his hair roots confirmed that the king’s original hair color was red, suggesting that he came from a family of redheads. This detail was significant, as in ancient Egypt, people with red hair were often associated with the deity Set, the slayer of Osiris.
After being irradiated in an attempt to eliminate fungi and insects, Ramesses II’s mummy was returned from Paris to Egypt in May 1977. Today, his mummy is on display in the Egyptian Museum, where it continues to attract visitors from around the world, allowing them to witness the legacy of one of ancient Egypt’s greatest pharaohs.
Thus, the story of Ramesses II, the great warrior, builder, and ruler, lives on, echoing through the corridors of history and reminding us of the enduring legacy of the pharaohs who once ruled the land of the Nile.
