Ramesses II: The Mummy's Novel

This article is excerpted from the Figaro Special issue "Ramses II, the exhibition event of the Grande halle de la Villette". Discover the greatness and mysteries of ancient Egypt through the life of the greatest pharaoh builder, genius propagandist, protector of the arts, father of more than a hundred children... 160 sumptuously illustrated pages.

Le Figaro Special Edition "Ramses II, the exhibition event of the Grande halle de la Villette". Le Figaro

At the very beginning of his reign, Ramses II went to Thebes to preside over the funeral of his father, Seti I, but also to resume or start work on a number of works as was customary during a succession.

There were first those that needed to be completed, such as the great hypostyle hall of the domain of Amun in Karnak, but there were others to be programmed, especially in the west of the city, such as those of its "temple of millions of years" and its tomb, which it was planned to build in the Valley of the Kings, which was then called "the Great Meadow" (Sekhet Aat).

See alsoRamses II: mountains and wonders

Thus, by a text written on a shard (ostracon) found in the Ramesseum, we learn that a ceremony had taken place in the necropolis in the year 2 of his reign, "the thirteenth day of the Peret (winter) season", to choose the suitable location and start the rock with "a silver peak", at the place where the future burial of the king was to be dug.

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