Ramesses fortifies the western coast road of…
1245 BCE to 1234 BCE
Ramesses fortifies the western coast road of Egypt against Libyan invaders and constructs several large temples, most notably that at Abu Simbel in Nubia, where the four colossal statues of Ramesses II that form the facade of his rock-cut temple of Re Harakte, immense and imbued with awesome strength, exemplify the arc of the sculptural representations of Egypt’s kings in this epoch.
The plan of the impressive temple is similar to that of Egyptian freestanding temples except that the structure is carved out of a cliff face and the enormous statues of the king replace the pylons.