The conflict between Egyptians and Hittites led by Ramses was triggered by the absolute control over Syria. At the end of April 1275 BC, Pharaoh led his troops to the Oronte Valley and conquered Kadesh, an important town established by Hittites in Syria. Ramses led 20,000 soldiers and 200 chariots. These forces are divided into four groups, named Amon, Puta, Lala and Seth. The target of this war is the land in northern Syria, and the opponent is King Muwatalish, who has 1000 soldiers and more than 3,500 chariots. Near the Orente River, Pharaoh's army captured two people who claimed to be Hittite deserters. They said they had important information to inform the Egyptians. The two men were taken to Ramses and told him that Mu Watari's army was far away from here, and the Pharaoh could easily capture the city. Rameses has taken Kadesh as a bag at this time. Before the troops were assembled, he led the Amon team to the plain near Kadesh and camped here. When his guards caught two soldiers of the enemy vanguard, he realized that he was trapped in the encirclement of the enemy, but it was too late. The Hittites who stamped their feet in the castle suddenly attacked, and the unprepared Pharaoh's army fled in flight. Only Ramses led his personal bodyguard to resist the Hittite attack. Zimino described: "Thanks to two unexpected things, Ramses was able to escape unscathed. First, after the Hittite soldiers invaded the camp of the Egyptian army, they were immediately busy grabbing property, but forgot to pursue the enemy with victory. " Secondly, Pharaoh's follow-up troops rushed to rescue Ramses and his soldiers in time. "At this time, the whole battle was completely reversed: the Hittites who should have won easily were in danger, and the two sides stopped fighting near dusk. In the evening, soldiers from other Egyptian detachments came to reinforce Pharaoh.
Finally, the Hittites were forced to make peace because of the fierce attack of Ramses army and the civil strife in their own country. The end of the war was 0: 0.
Frank. Zimino said: "The real situation may not be completely like this. Although Mu Watari lost many heavy chariots (more than Egyptian chariots, but more difficult to control), his soldiers were almost unscathed. But for Ramses, the Hittite raid cost him at least one detachment. " The result of the war was a draw, which forced Ramses to give up his plan to capture Kadesh.
But with the help of his own propaganda, he turned this battle that almost ruined his future into a heroic feat under the leadership of a great leader.
Ramses carved this war on many temples. He brought a new expression. Abu? In the relief depicting the Battle of Kadesh in Simbel Temple, the surface decorated with stripes is now used to express exciting scenes and create more dramatic dynamic scenes. The images of Ramses and chariots depicted in the relief can make people understand this brand-new style, and people have different interpretations of the "four arms" in the details of the picture. Some people think that the extra two arms should belong to the chariot driver, and his body is completely covered by Ramses; Others think that, as the inscription says, it should be the Arm of Amon summoned by Ramses. The latest hypothesis is that they belong to Ramses himself, and the artist who created the relief painted two more arms to increase the movement of the picture.
A modern peace treaty signed more than 4000 years ago.
A peace treaty carved on a mud wall or a stone wall described in cuneiform or hieroglyphics is the first example of solving a war conflict through "diplomacy".
After the Battle of Kadesh, the conflict between Egyptians and Hittites continued until the death of King Mu Watari, and his successor Khatulish signed the earliest existing international treaty with Ramses in human history. At present, people have found two versions of the treaty, one is hieroglyphics carved on the wall of the stone pillar hall of Karnak Temple, and the other is Babylonian cuneiform tablets excavated on clay boards at the site of Hattusa, the Hittite capital. What prompted the two countries to hold peace talks was the threat from Asiri, a belligerent country that constantly harassed the two kingdoms. The peace treaty was signed in Ramses, the newly-built capital of Ramses, around 1269 BC. This treaty has many modern meanings. According to the treaty, the people of the two countries will no longer wage war, help each other when attacked by the enemy, safeguard the rights and interests of the other king, and extradite prisoners who have taken refuge in the other country.
Look at the treasures of Ramses Kingdom in the Nile Delta.
A bustling huge port, colorful houses and a dozen temples are all designed to show a person's greatness.
Anyone who comes to Bi-Ramses will admire the extraordinary beauty of this capital. Palaces, houses and Ramses' own palaces are all brightly colored, and historians describe them as "beautiful balconies and halls covered with lapis lazuli and pottery stones." There is a temple in every important place in the city: in the north, there is Bhutto Temple dedicated to the patron saint of the ancient capital of the north; In the east, there is the Asian goddess Alstar; In the south, there is the temple of Seth; In the west, there is the Temple of Amon. There is a residential area for troops and officials in the city, and there is a hall for holding the ceremony of succession with Pharaoh; Ships in busy ports are full of all kinds of goods, which makes Belgium-Ramses become the main commercial center of the kingdom. But today, all these prosperity have disappeared. With the help of cultural relics unearthed in Varis, the capital city that existed before Piraeus, people can determine the exact address of the city today.
All the temples in Karnak Temple
For more than two thousand years, it has been an active "construction site", and many pharaohs have built it in the name of Amon: Ramses will naturally not let go of such an important religious center.
The architecture of Karnak Temple consists of many religious buildings, and its construction time spans from the Middle Ages to the Roman Empire. The core of the complex is the Temple of Amon-Lala, which was regarded as a sacred place in Thebes at the beginning of its construction and was later named "City of Amon" by residents. Near it, a temple dedicated to Montu, the god of war, and a temple dedicated to the goddess Mott, the wife of Amon were also built. A 2-kilometer-long "Avenue of the Sphinx" connects the Karnak Temple and the Luxor Temple in the south, which is also used to worship the God Amon. The Nile also connects the two cities. On some important festivals, the statue of Amon will be loaded on a ship and transported from Karnak Temple to Luxor under the escort of a ship.
Ramses was more diligent in architecture than any Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. During his reign, he ordered the construction of an amazing number of palaces, temples, statues and stone tablets. Why would he do that?
Mainly through magnificent buildings to show their rights, to show their status as a living god. In order to achieve his goal, he did not hesitate to occupy some older buildings. Some old buildings were engraved with their own names after his renovation, some were built in his name around them, and some were used as "material warehouses" and used as materials for building new buildings after being demolished.
It was used to transport the khalaf Pyramid in Giza, and the whole granite was removed to build Buta templo mayor in Memphis. The architectural style specified by Ramses was also used by him to show his greatness. For example, the temple is full of majestic statues and pillars decorated with hieroglyphs and patterns, and the walls full of religious and war scenes are praising the king's holiness and great achievements.
Ramses personally went to the construction site to check the progress of the project. He even went to the stone mining site to select the best materials.
There are some inscriptions, such as the inscription on the eighth stone tablet (now kept in the National Museum of Egypt), which describe Ramses' words of encouragement and praise to construction workers. Ramses is very concerned about their lives and never lets them lack food, clothes, shoes and fresh water, so that they can concentrate on their work.
The capital of the delta
Ramses' new projects include a new capital, which is as luxurious as Memphis and Thebes, two other big cities in Egypt. This city named Pi-Ramses (meaning "the house of Ramses") has begun to take shape in the fifth year of Pharaoh's reign and has become his living room. The city was built in Varis, located in the east of the Nile Delta, which made him feel very cordial, because his father's summer palace was built here. But there must be other intentions in this place, Egyptian scientist Eda? Blesi Yani explained: "This is the hometown of Ramses, which is obviously a major reason. In addition, the construction of Bi-Ramses here has its military and strategic significance. The city is close to the eastern border and is often invaded by foreigners, so it must be strictly defended. In addition, it is an important commercial intersection connecting Egypt and Asia. "
Xindu occupies a very rich land, where farmland is fertile, rivers are crowded with fish and shrimp, and warehouses are full of food. The residents in the city come from various territories of the kingdom, such as Libya, Nubia, Canaan and Amurus. Many of them are prisoners of war, but they maintain friendly relations with the Egyptians, and they all enjoy the prosperous life here. More than a century after Ramses' death, when the pharaohs of the 2nd1dynasty (BC 1069 ~ 945 BC) decided to move their capital to tanis, the glory of Biramses faded, and many treasures in the city were moved to the new capital.
His mark remains in every temple.
In Karnak Temple (today regarded as one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt, it was once a prosperous religious center for Pharaoh's coronation ceremony), Ramses also left his deep footprints. In the majestic mayor of Amon-Ra templo, he completed the construction of the stone pillar hall, which was built during the reign of Amon Hope II (BC 1427 ~ BC 1392) and continued to be built during the reign of the Horumbuhe Dynasty and seti i. This building is a veritable treasure of ancient architecture: it covers an area of more than 5,000 square meters, with 134 giant stone pillars supporting the roof, especially the two rows of pillars weighing 12 tons in the middle. Ramses decorated the wall with reliefs depicting celebrations and ordered the excavation of a sacred lake that has been preserved to this day. This lake symbolizes the birthplace of all life forms, where rituals are held to worship the sun god and Osiris god, and the clergy should clean themselves before each ceremony.
Most of the nearby Luxor temples were completed during the reign of Pharaoh Amon Hopt III (BC 1387 ~ BC 1348). Rameses added a corridor supported by 72 stone pillars and a huge arch (a stone tower with a temple gate) to the existing building structure. The stone pillars divided into two rows are engraved with decorative patterns, while the walls of the arches are engraved with narrative cards. There are six huge statues and two obelisks in front of these buildings, but there is only one obelisk left in Luxor Temple, and the other one was moved to Place de la Concorde in Paris at 1836.
Ramses Palace Built for Eternity
These are just some examples of Ramses' passion for creation, but in order to better understand his passion for celebrations, it is necessary to visit the ruins of Ramses Palace.
Although only a small part of the palace still stands there, the whole complex is undoubtedly the greatest building conceived by Pharaoh. It is located in Thebes on the left bank of the Nile. This is a temple for funeral, but its ultimate purpose is not to place Ramses' body, but to facilitate people to hold ceremonies to worship him after his death.
The funeral city is surrounded by high walls. In addition to the main hall, there are workshops, shops and even a school for training copywriters. In this school, archaeologists found some papyrus books. Finally, there is another interesting thing: in order to build a funeral city for himself, Ramses ordered the demolition of some materials of ancient buildings. This is exactly what happened to Ramses Palace later: this palace, which originally represented Ramses' great achievements and passed down through the ages, was partially demolished because other kings wanted to build their own palaces.
A dream carved on a rock
Abu? Simbel Temple is considered as the greatest work of Ramses and a veritable ancient architectural treasure. Four giant statues carved from rocks are 20 meters high, symbolizing the Pharaoh sitting at the gate of the palace. Now they have become symbols of Egyptian civilization. Sergio, one of the famous Egyptian scientists in Italy? Professor SergioDonadoni explained: "This is an incredible building, which brings the architectural elements of Egyptian classical architecture into the mountains."
The temple was built on a hillside, with a depth of 60 meters. Originally, it was dedicated to the three gods of Amon, Ra and Buta, but in fact, it only served one "true god"-Ramses himself.
But what about Abu? However, the fate of Simbel Temple is disastrous. Shortly after it was built, an earthquake caused great losses. Many stone pillars and statues were smashed, and the damaged part included the whole upper part of the front of the temple. Most of the damaged places were later repaired, but the architects at that time could do nothing about the statue, and only the fragments of the statue were scattered nearby.
A safe made of sand
Centuries after Ramses' death, the building was completely abandoned, and sand began to gradually bury it, leaving only the head and shoulders of the huge statue at the entrance exposed. 18 13, a Swiss scholar John? Burckhardt discovered it, and after four years of deep sleep, the Italian Jordan? Giovan Belzoni began to dig it. After several months of hard work, a road was finally opened in the sand. After thousands of years, someone finally got into the temple.
After a long time, this magnificent temple, chosen by Ramses to represent its powerful power and sacred destiny, finally faced extinction and was buried underwater almost forever. 1960, Egyptian President Nasser began to order the construction of a large Asuan reservoir. After the completion of the reservoir, an artificial lake with a length of about 500 kilometers will be formed, which can turn many barren lands into fertile fields. This is a project of vital importance to the country, but it will represent; Many relics of Egyptian Pharaoh civilization are buried in the water forever, including Abu? Simbel Temple, which also made it famous all over the world.
A rescue operation in history
UNESCO warned the world and launched a veritable rescue operation. Three countries in the world11lend a helping hand and provide Egypt with manpower, funds and technology. Will the rescue plan take Abu? Simbel Temple was divided into many pieces, and then these pieces were reassembled at a distance of 180 meters and 65 meters above the ground. The whole project lasted for five years, using more than 2,000 workers, tons of materials and resources, and unprecedented technology in archaeological history. During the whole process, each piece is numbered to facilitate reassembly. The rebuilt temple is the same as the original direction, depending on the constellation and the direction of the Nile after the completion of the Aswan Dam. The outstanding peaks have also been restored to their original state, and the whole giant building block has finally been completed.
The misfortune of the most beloved princess
From Abu? Not far from Simbel Temple, there is a small mountain temple, which is a sacrificial temple dedicated by Pharaoh to Nafu Ti Tuo Li. People know nothing about the origin of this princess. She seems to come from a civilian family. But there is no doubt that both Lao Wang and ordinary people love her deeply.
The princess's name means "the most beautiful woman", and many portraits also prove her charm. Ramses married her shortly before he succeeded to the throne, and has been inseparable from her ever since, and she can be seen in both religious ceremonies and national activities. She can often be seen snuggling up to her husband in paintings and other cultural relics. Nefertitali also plays an important role in political life. She maintained a good relationship with the Hittite Queen through letters and gifts.
She gave birth to six children for Pharaoh: two daughters and four sons, but they all died young and failed to inherit the throne. In fact, Melenpa, the son of another princess, Si Nuo Flatt, became the heir of Ramses.
Nefertiti should entertain Abu with Ramses? The inauguration ceremony of Simbel Temple, but it is very likely that she failed to make it. According to a hypothesis between fiction and history, Neve Ti Tuo Li died in front of this temple that was supposed to share eternal life with Pharaoh, when she entrusted her eldest daughter to preside over the inauguration ceremony with her father. Nefertiti was solemnly buried in the Valley of the Queen.
1904, Italian archaeologist Ernest? Schiaparelli found her grave, but her mummy and funerary objects were stolen. Nevertheless, the exquisite murals restored in the tomb still make Nafti Titali's tomb a pearl of ancient Egyptian civilization.