From a young age, Ramses was trained as a ruler and a fighter. Made an army captain at age 10, he began military campaigns even before he became pharaoh. During his reign, Ramses greatly increased the size of his kingdom.

Many people consider Ramses the last great Egyptian pharaoh. He accomplished great things, but the pharaohs who followed could not maintain them. Both a great warrior and a great builder, he is known largely for the massive monuments he built. The temples at Karnak, Luxor, and Abu Simbel stand as 3,000-year- old symbols of the great pharaoh's power.

The temple at Abu Simbel is especially known for the huge statues carved out of the sandstone cliffs at the temple's entrance. These 66-foot-tall statues show Ramses as pharaoh. Nearby are some smaller statues of his family.

Hatshepsut was born in 1506 and was the daughter of Thutmose I, the pharaoh of Egypt. When she was twelve, her father died and her husband, and half-brother, Thutmose II became pharaoh. Three years later, her husband died and her nephew Thutmose III should have become pharaoh, but he was too young to rule Egypt. Hatshepsut became the regent of Egypt, which is someone who runs the kingdom temporarily until the child was old enough to rule themselves. However, Hatshepsut decided that she too should be pharaoh.