The Long Journey of Ramesses

• Documentary

Episode overview

The protagonist of tonight's episode is a man who lived 3,200 years ago. He is Pharaoh Ramesses II, the greatest of the Egyptian pharaohs, considered somewhat of a Sun King of the time. Like Louis XIV, he reigned for a very long time, over 67 years. The era of Ramesses was the height of Egypt's splendor. Throughout the Nile Valley, his face is carved in stone everywhere. Among the many temples, colossal statues, and obelisks bearing his name, the most grandiose work is the temple of Abu Simbel, which underwent an unprecedented operation in the 1960s: it was sawn into many pieces and moved higher up to prevent the Nile waters, following the construction of a dam, from submerging it. With Alberto Angela, we will follow the events of this undertaking, deemed nearly impossible at the time. We will also see Ramesses' tomb.

94 minutes