It’s not every day that you dig around in the dirt and unearth a remarkable archaeological antiquity that is proclaimed to be “one of the most important discoveries ever.” But that is exactly what happened this week in a slum of Cairo.
A massive statue thought to be of pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled Egypt 3,000 years ago, was discovered in modern-day Cairo. The amazing archaeological discovery was dug up in the area of Matariya, which is where the ancient city of Heliopolis was. The city’s sun temple was founded by Ramses II, so it is believed the statue is of him. Researchers believe there are many more remains of the ancient world hidden under the city.
The 26-foot statue of one of the Egypt’s most famous ancient rulers was discovered by a German-Egyptian team. The quartzite statue was submerged in groundwater, but appeared to be in remarkable condition for being 3,000 years old.
Amazing scenes in #Cairo today as statue of Ramsses II discovered in Heliopolis! #Egypt #Archaeology #Egyptology pic.twitter.com/I7xBUpbS5q
— Nigel J.Hetherington 🏳️🌈🇪🇺 (@Pastpreservers) March 9, 2017
Pharaoh Ramses II was the most powerful and celebrated ruler of ancient Egypt. He was the third of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and ruled from 1279 to 1213 BC.
Ramses the Great expanded the Egyptian empire to stretch from Syria in the east to Nubia, which is modern-day northern Sudan, in the south.
“Last Tuesday they called me to announce the big discovery of a colossus of a king, most probably Ramses II, made out of quartzite,” said antiquities minister Khaled al-Anani.
The Egyptian Antiquities Ministry is calling the statue one of the most important discoveries ever. They also found the limestone bust of King Seti II, the grandson of Ramses II.
If archeologists are able to validate the statue’s authenticity, it will be moved to the entrance of the Grand Egyptian Museum, set to open in 2018.
Now some beautiful words from Percy Bysshe Shelley regarding Ozymandias, which was the Greek name for Ramesses II.
My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
[NatGeo]