Born in ~1303 B.C.E., Ramses II (aka Ramses the Great) is acknowledged as one the greatest and certainly the most well known pharaohs of Egypt. Considered a great military and political leader, Ramses II expanded Egyptian control in West Asia and along the upper Nile against the Hittites and Nubians and built some of the most notable structures of ancient Egypt, including Abu Simbel and the expansions at Abydos, Karnak and Luxor. Ramses II died in 1237 B.C.E.
