Restored Head of Ramses II Statue Reinstalled at Abydos Temple in Sohag

The collaborative archaeological mission with a university in New York has recently been completed with the restoration of the granite head of Ramesses II at his own temple in Abydos, Sohag, in Egypt. It is an official mission that took place under the guidance of the SCA Supreme Council of Antiquities’ general secretary, Hisham El-Leithy.  

In Egypt, the SCA (Supreme Council of Antiquities) is the primary government body that is primarily responsible for the protection and conservation of Egyptian heritage and culture. It was established in 1859 as a partner agency with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. This particular government body closely works with the international institutions and universities carrying out archaeological research.  

Here we are presenting other details about the restoration process of the Ramesses II head in the Abydos Temple, a famous archaeological site situated in Egypt. 

The researchers have found that the head, which was separated from the headcloth or nemes long ago, resembles the face of Ramesses II. The secretary general of the SCA also added that the head was successfully restored at the entrance of the temple on the stone base, near the second pylon of the temple; it is positioned in a way that it must be clearly visible for the tourists.  

Features of the face and head statue recently restored at the Abydos temple 

• Face has a height of 67 cm.  
• It has an approximate weight of around 300 kilograms.
• The statue’s face is found in good condition. 
• Have red and yellow pigments on the rock. 
• Also, some part of the royal beard is found intact. 
• The nemes is the unique striped headcloth, which is also found on the Ramesses II statue. It approximately weighs around one ton. 
• Preservation practices have successfully preserved the parts of the important Uraeus cobra, which is placed on the forehead of the royal headcloth. 

To conclude, the face structure, when discovered in 1994, was found in good condition, but at that time it was moved for studies to confirm that it belonged to Ramesses II. The statue was identified by the headcloth “nemes,” an identity mark that represents it as Ramesses II.

Additionally, the head of the mission, Mr. Sameh Iskander, is found in its best condition, having a little red and yellow pigment, which are color marks that were successfully preserved, especially on the cobra Uraeus on the head cloth “nemes.” Also, he said that during the excavation session of 1994-1995, other parts of the statue were also found, which include its legs and base. To conclude, he added that ongoing excavation and research processes are going on to fully restore the statue at the Abydos temple. 

The minister Sherif Fathy, a high-ranking officer under the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt, then shed light on the objectives of the ministry’s strategy to protect and preserve the antiquities. He explained that working on collaborative projects with the international institutions will help enhance the presentation for the visitors. Also, have commented on the beneficial collaborations with world archaeology institutes and museums, which are helping in upgrading the historical exploration experiences for tourists, especially at significant locations like Abydos. 

City of Abydos in Egypt 

The area of Abydos is part of Sohag’s governorate and among the prominent historical sites with structures and evidence of ancient Egyptian civilization. It is famous as the cult center for the god Osiris and also has a burial with the remains of the earliest kings, like Seti I, which belongs to a timeline of around 3300 BCE.   

Abydos has a temple of Seti I that belongs to the 19th dynasty, a religious place dedicated to Osiris, Isis, and Horus; they are depicted through the carvings on the limestone. Also, have the Osireion, which symbolizes the tomb of Osiris.  

It is also home to the temple of Ramesses II, which is famous for its decoration and recent archaeological developments. The SCA is a primary body that focuses on preserving the historical sites at Abydos.  

The final words 

Restoration of the head of Ramesses II is also important because it clearly shows that the nemes and face features are clear. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is playing a major role in carrying out research using modern equipment. So, to know about such amazing and recent updates in the archaeology of Egyptian culture, follow us.  

Whether you have a query related to travel, booking a Nile cruise, or are just looking for information, trust us and get to know about a lot of unseen Egypt. Read our other articles, having travel updates and guidelines for tourists traveling to Egypt.

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