Summary

Ramses II, pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty, left an indelible mark on ancient Egypt. Often known as Ramses the Great, his reign was a golden age when political and cultural life thrived. He created spectacular monuments, including the magnificent Abu Simbel temples, the royal city of Piramses, and his mortuary temple Ramesseum. As a military leader, he expanded the Egyptian sovereignty from Nubia in the south to Syria in the west. Brilliant and ambitious, he forged with the Hittite Empire the first-ever peace treaty, a copy of which prominently hangs in the New York headquarters of the United Nations. During his 67-year reign, he had seven royal wives and nearly 100 children. His extraordinary leadership resulted in decades of peace and prosperity. Today, Egypt recognizes Ramses the Great with boulevards, parks, hotels, and museums. Buried in the Valley of the Kings, his mummy was discovered in 1881, and is one of Egypt’s greatest tourist attractions. Discover the many accomplishments of one of the longest-lived Egyptian pharaohs in Ramses the Great.

Specifications

Full-color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Maps. Chronology. Further reading. Index.

About the Author(s)

Silvia Anne Sheafer is an awarding-winning author, journalist, and photographer. She teaches in both public schools and community colleges. She is editor of the International Senior Traveler and travels frequently, writing magazine and newspaper travel articles.

Introduction by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., Albert Schweitzer Professor of the Humanities, City University of New York; winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History and for Biography