A new exhibition in London is bringing out from the shadow of Tutankhamun the most ambitious pharaoh of ancient Egypt: Ramses II.
With over 3,000 objects brought from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to the grounds of Battersea Power Station, visitors have a rare opportunity to see up close the legacy of a ruler who carved his name into history – often in a completely direct way.
Ramses II, who ruled for 66 years (1279–1213 BC) and lived to be about 90, left behind gigantic monuments, epic battles, and over 100 descendants. His impressively preserved mummy shows a face with a pointed nose and strong features – far more realistic than idealized portraits in stone.
In the shadow of Tutankhamun
Although Tutankhamun is the most famous pharaoh today – thanks to the discovery of his intact tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 – he accomplished little during his short life. Ramses, by contrast, built colossal temples, waged wars and signed peace treaties.
One of the most spectacular achievements is Abu Simbel, where four 20-meter-high statues of Ramses himself are carved into the rock. The temple is a magnificent manifesto of his power and ego.
The British Museum houses another of his colossus, rescued in 1817 by adventurer and archaeologist Giovanni Battista Belzoni, after Napoleon's troops had planned to blow it up with explosives.
Propaganda in stone
When Ramses took the throne, Egypt was emerging from the turmoil of the period of Akhenaten, who had imposed radical religious reforms. The new dynasty restored traditional worship and classical artistic style – rejecting realism in favor of idealization.
In the reliefs of the Battle of Kadesh, Ramesses is shown single-handedly defeating the Hittites, although the reality was more complex. He later signed a peace treaty with them, one of the earliest diplomatic agreements known in history.
Some scholars even believe that he may be the pharaoh mentioned in the Book of Exodus, the ruler who held the Israelites in captivity until their escape under the leadership of Moses.
From Ozymandias to today
The Greco-Romans called Ramses “Ozymandias.” The name was immortalized by Percy Bysshe Shelley in his famous poem Ozymandias, an ironic reflection on the ambition and transience of power. “Look at my works, O mighty ones, and despair,” reads the inscription on the ruined statue—a warning that eternal glory can turn to dust.
However, Ramses' propaganda worked: his name and face – even stylized – survived for millennia.
The exhibition “Ramses and the Pharaohs' Gold” gives him another moment in the spotlight. If Tutankhamun is the symbol of mystery, Ramses II is the symbol of consciously projected power.
Three thousand years later, he continues to demand that history see him – and remember him. /GazetaExpress/
edition
t7 live
