Whichever angle you approach Ramses II from, the 13th century BC pharaoh deserves his nickname: the Great.
His 67-year reign is the second longest in Egyptian history. Bold in both war and peace, Ramesses expanded Egyptian territory and signed the first known peace treaty with the Hittites in 1271 BCE. This consolidation led to an unprecedented construction of cities and monuments, often for himself. Ramesses’ offspring was also vast, it is estimated that he fathered over 100 children.
There may have been 11 other pharaohs named Ramses, but “Ramses and the gold of the pharaohs“, an exhibition recently inaugurated in Paris demonstrates that the pharaoh who acquired semi-divine status during his lifetime does not need identifiers.
The exhibit is on the third leg of a five-year, 10-city world tour with previous stops at Houston Museum of Natural Science and that of San Francisco deYoung Museum. It was designed through a collaboration between the Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt and World Heritage Exhibitions.
Installation view of Sennedjem’s exterior coffin and lid. Photo: the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris, © Yvan Lebert.
Through over 180 objects, many of which have never left Egypt, the exhibition creates a vivid picture of the country’s ancient golden age. Although Ramesses’ tomb in the Valley of the Kings has been raided and looted of its golden ornaments, the show features many treasures directly related to him, including a colossal red granite statue of the pharaoh’s head, one of his many gold rings and painted reliefs celebrating his military victories.
More broadly, the exhibition presents a look at the world inhabited, sculpted and inspired by Ramses. There is a space dedicated to the tomb of the royal tomb builder Sennedjem, a collection of mummified animals found at the Saqqara necropolis, and treasures discovered in the royal tombs of Dahshur and Tanis.
Installing the Battle of Kadesh multimedia display. Photo: the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris, © Yvan Lebert.
The exhibition is also based on contemporary technology to bring historical artifacts and events to life. Drone footage and computer animations have been used to recreate the ancient splendor of the Ramses Memorial Temple, photo murals are projected onto the walls and there is a multimedia recreation of the Battle of Kadesh, a chariot battle of 1274 BC widely regarded as the pharaoh’s greatest military achievement. A VR experience is also available for visitors.
“Ramesses II is considered the greatest king to ever rule Egypt,” Mostafa Waziri, Egypt’s secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in a press release. “This exhibit will shed light on the pivotal moments that earned the great pharaoh his place in history, while bringing visitors face-to-face with absolutely breathtaking Egyptian artifacts”
See more images from the exhibit below.
Head of a colossal statue of Ramesses II. Photo: Sandro Vannini/Laboratoriorosso World Heritage exhibits.
Statue of kneeling Ramses. Photo: Sandro Vannini/Laboratoriorosso World Heritage exhibits.
Granite bust of Merenptah. Photo: World Heritage Exhibitions 2020.
Necklace with falcon heads and counterpoise of Princess Neferou-Ptah Photo: Sandro Vannini/Laboratoriorosso World Heritage exhibits.
Coffin of Ramses II made of cedar at the end of the 18th dynasty. Photo: Sandro Vannini, Laboratoriorosso/World Heritage Exhibitions.
Bracelet of Chechonq II. Photo: Sandro Vannini/Laboratoriorosso World Heritage exhibits.
Installation view of the upper part of an obelisk bearing the name of Ramesses II. Photo: Sandro Vannini/Laboratoriorosso World Heritage exhibits.
Mirror of Sithathoriounet. Photo: Sandro Vannini/Laboratoriorosso
World Heritage exhibits.
“Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs” is presented at the Grande Halle de la Villette, 211 Av. Jean Jaurès, Paris, France, until September 6.
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