![]() ![]() In addition to Abu Simbel, Ramesses the Great constructed many other magnificent temples throughout Egypt, but he built probably the greatest of them all in ancient Egypt’s capital city of Waset, today known as Luxor. Perhaps the most famous of all the temples he built is located in the remote far south of Egypt, close to the border with Sudan.Ī dramatic rock-cut temple carved out of a cliff face on Egypt’s southern border, Abu Simbel was in principle dedicated to the ancient Egyptian sun god Re-Herakhte, but the most dominating aspect of the temple by far are its four gigantic statues of Ramesses the Great, which are each over 60 feet tall. But as it turned out, all of the pharaohs’ tombs here were found and robbed of their treasures – all that is, except one.Īfter remaining successfully hidden for thousands of years, the entrance to the pharaoh Tutankhamen’s Tomb was finally discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in November 1922.ĭuring his lifetime, Ramesses the Great constructed more spectacular monumental buildings than any other pharaoh. In a hidden gorge, today known as the Valley of the Kings more than 20 pharaohs over a period of 500 years were buried in secretive rock-cut tombs, whose entrances were covered up to prevent tomb-robbers from finding them. Originally nearly 500 feet high, well over twice the height of the Step Pyramid, remarkably it was the world’s tallest building for over 3500 years until the building of medieval cathedrals.īut then a thousand years later, at the height of ancient Egyptian civilization’s power and magnificence, the pharaohs came up with a different idea to protect their tombs and the fabulous treasures buried within them. One of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, it’s the only one still standing. ![]() Over 4500 years old, the Great Pyramid of Giza is almost certainly the world’s most famous and recognisable ancient monument. Taking perhaps 20 years to build, Imhotep’s Step Pyramid was a remarkable achievement, of both imagination and construction, but within less than a hundred years the ancient Egyptian architects went much further. Nearly 5000 years old, and over 200 feet high, the Step Pyramid beneath which the Pharaoh Djoser was buried, is undoubtedly one of ancient Egypt’s most significant and magnificent monuments. Our story starts 100 years or so before the building of the Great Pyramids of Giza. It’s a journey of discovery that will take us to ancient Egypt’s greatest pyramids and obelisks, and its most magnificent temples and tombs. In this episode of Empire Builders we travel through time to appreciate 3000 years of ancient Egyptian history through the amazing stories of ten of its most famous and spectacular buildings. Rising to prominence in North Africa along the fertile valley of the river Nile, ancient Egypt prospered and grew to become one of the world’s earliest and greatest civilisations.
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