Final answer:
Ramses II was the New Kingdom pharaoh responsible for the construction of the Abu Simbel temples and other monumental projects, including a new capital and temple expansions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The New Kingdom pharaoh who built several large temples and monuments, including the majestic Abu Simbel, was Ramses II. He constructed the Great Temple at Abu Simbel in Nubia, which is most renowned for its four massive seated statues of Ramses II himself. This temple was so ingeniously engineered that twice a year, the rays of the sun would illuminate the seated gods within, except for the god of the underworld. Beyond Abu Simbel, Ramses II also commissioned numerous other monumental projects, such as the construction of a new capital called Pi-Ramesse and the expansion of existing temples in Thebes and various other locations.