Ramesses II Hypostyle Project

The pharaohs of the New Kingdom were the most powerful pharaohs of ancient Egypt because Ramses II was the most successful pharaoh, they gained control through conquest, and they developed relations. In Chapter 5, lesson 3 of “Discovering our Past: A History of our World” (our social studies textbook) it states “Ramses conquered the region of Canaan and moved north into Syria. To get this territory, he fought the Hittites”. This proves that Ramses II (also known as “Ramses the Great”), was very powerful, for the Hittites were smart and very hard to beat. “The Hittites were among the first people to master ironworking.

The scribes described the interactions between the pharaoh and the people in the conquered areas as some divine event, but, it is probable that the pharaoh had the people take an oath of loyalty to keep some of their lands as well as their lives. While the scribes romanticized the event, and made it seem like the conquered people were grateful, it is safe to surmise that the interaction went down like any other: the conquered people agree to be part of the empire, and while they could keep their lands, they had to pay a tribute of some sort, which usually involved a loyalty oath and sometimes enslaving the wives and children of the conquered tribes. This part of the book stood out to me because it indicates that Thutmose III wasn’t thinking solely about conquering these lands just for the sake of acquiring the area and materials; he may have envisioned truly expanding the Egyptian empire across the known world and all people worshipping the god Amun. While this may have been a common belief for most pharaohs (as well as other rulers from different regions and time periods) to expand their empire and religion, the fact that Thutmose III was able to do it across such a large area without annihilating a good number of the population stood out to

Pharaohs during the 30th dynasty maintained Egypt’s independence. During this time they were still battling the Persians in alliance with the Sparta and Athens. Egypt tried to reassemble the new kingdom by invading Syria. After many attempts the Persians finally reconquered Egypt (341B.C.). The Persians did not rule Egypt for very long.

Eventually, the Old Kingdom fell apart and Egypt went into a time of disorder. A new dynasty unified Egypt and started the Middle Kingdom. The boundaries and jobs of nomes were established. Pharaohs were described as “shepherds of the people” instead of being like a

She carried out multiple great achievements including improvements when it came to trade, building, military, court and priesthood. Large quantities of astonishing building innovations were executed, and she started a new age of temple building. Hatshepsut is known to be one of the most profound builders of Ancient Egypt, with her most infamous creation being her own mortuary temple Deir el-Bahri. This temple is located in the Valley of the Kings, across the Nile from Thebes. On the walls of this temple, there are stories telling of Hatshepsut’s birth as the daughter of the god Amun, and carvings showing trading expeditions.

During the co-regency of Hatshepsut and Thutmose, Egyptian power and control started to decline due to a lack of military activity, consequently Egypt became vulnerable of attack. Therefore as a result, the prince of Kadesh, saw this opportunity and led a revolt along with 330 other Asiatic princes against Egypt in order to prevent the expansion of Egypt into Syria. However, after the death of Hatshepsut, Thutmose

A venerated ancient Egyptian figure, Amun, expressed his belief in Hatshepsut through an inscription on a wall at Deir el-Bahri. “Welcome my sweet daughter, my favourite, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare, Hatshepsut Thou art King, taking possession of the Two Lands” (de Masson, 2012.) The confidence instilled by Amun allowed Hatshepsut to gain political advantage and further transform Egypt. Architecturally, Hatshepsut erected two obelisks, structures associated with great power and ability. Although the dominant perspective of the time has been erased, the cultural remains of Hatshepsut still seen today project a positive image.

She built the first temple to Amun at the city of Thebes, which became one of the most important religious sites in ancient Egypt. The temple was called Hwt-Amun, or the Mansion of Amun, and it was known for its wealth and splendour.

New Kingdom Egypt is widely known for its great rulers and even greater archaeological history. Pharaohs like Ramesses II, and buildings like Abu Simbel, are generally considered the standard of greatness that is iconic of the period. The most notorious pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, Amenhotep IV, more commonly known as Akhenaten, etched his name in history through his radical reforms and irrational decisions. One of the key features of his reign was his construction of the new city of Tell El-Amarna or ‘Akhetaten’ during his reign.

These decisions would make Egypt even stronger, and would help them in the long run. Although Thutmose III tried to destroy the legacy of Hatshepsut, people can look back on her and realize that as a woman, she was able to accomplish so

Aside from creating new monuments, Ramses II also found ways to insert his name into existing structures. He supposedly ordered that the smallest repair in a building had to include his inscription, and he renovated ancient temples to ensure that they would reflect his image and encourage people to pay homage to his divine power. These actions prompted many historians to call him an ancient graffiti artist. Ramses II didn't stop at building new structures, though; during his reign, he successfully moved the capital from to a new place he called Pi-Ramesses Aa-nakhtu, which was near Canaan and Syria. There, he erected his residential palace and filled the land with large temples.

During her reign, Egypt was at it’s true zenith. Hatshepsut is also known for creating the 2nd largest obelisk in the history of the world. She created many other colossal monuments such as the “Temple of Hatshepsut” What drove Hatshepsut to build such capacious masterpieces? She said it herself,”Now my heart turns this way and that, as I think what the people say. Those who shall see my monuments in years to come and who shall speak of what I have done.”

Menes is considered to be the first Pharaoh in Egypt, and is thought to be the first Pharaoh farmer. It is that he united Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt by marrying into the family of a southern royal family. This marriage, was occurring at the same time as he was claiming the throne. Menes built the city on an earlier site known as white wall Kingdom. In order to have the city exactly we're Menes wanted it he built it next to the nile River in order to have it on the floodplain and still avoid the water overflow.

With the discovery of King Tut’s tomb came the realization that Egypt had been one of the finest and most advanced societies with the ability to create such beautiful tombs, preserve bodies, and to bury all that was important to one in the afterlife. By meeting the most important characteristics of civilization, it was evident that Ancient Egypt met all of the requirements of being a civility. There were social structures in which Pharaoh’s were at the top because they were considered to be gods, which of course also tied in with religion and the need to safely make it to the afterlife, hence Tutankhamen 's tomb. Without technology there would not have been any way of building such a secure and beautiful tomb at all and preserving dead bodies, and architecture used such technology to create the structures in the first place. From Pharaohs to slaves, all those on the social classes had some sort of job whether it meant to rule over an entire kingdom or serving the divine one.

In examining some of the Old Kingdom’s religious monuments, such as (ADD THE NAME OF THE MONUMENTS), it is apparent that ritual practices had significantly sustained and transformed the religious ideas. For instance, the ideology order of society, religious concepts, and the power of the ruler obviously determined much of what took place in Egypt, including the construction of elite tombs. For instance, upon examining (ADD THE NAME OF THE TOMB), the nature of the Old Kingdom was characterized by a central, steady, and lasting worldview, which hid the fundamental reality of the many people who made up society. It is also apparent that Egyptians were receptive to the world they lived in and understood their monuments to be politically