![]() As well as being the wife of an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, Nefertiti was made famous by her limestone bust. He chose the site as it was uninhabited – it was not the property of anyone else, but Aten’s.Īkhenaten’s wife, Nefertiti, was a strong presence during his reign and played a significant part in his religious revolution. At the same time he changed his name, he ordered a new capital city to be built. Amarna wasn’t a previously recognised place before the rule of Akhenaten. The meaning of his new name, “He who is of service to the Aten”, honoured what he believed to be the one true god: Aten, the Sun God.Īkhenaten’s religious conviction was such that he moved the Egyptian capital from Thebes to Amarna and named it Akhetaten, “Horizon of Aten”. The son of Amenhotep III, Akhenaten was named Amenhotep IV at birth but changed his name in accordance with his radical monotheistic beliefs. Indeed, Amenhotep III’s accomplishments as pharaoh were more cultural and diplomatic than military few Ancient Egyptian pharaohs can match his architectural and artistic legacy. Thutmose III never lost a battle and his military exploits won him the respect of his subjects and, for many, a status as the greatest ever pharaoh.ĭuring Amenhotep III’s 38-year reign, he largely presided over a peaceful and prosperous Egypt. The pharaoh’s military training paid off and he earned a reputation as something of a military genius indeed, Egyptologists sometimes refer to him as the Napoleon of Egypt. Thutmose III dedicated himself to military training while his step-mother was pharaoh, only taking over the role of main ruler when Hatshepsut died in 1458. She took to the role of pharaoh and proved an accomplished ruler, re-establishing important trade routes and overseeing extended periods of peace. Hatshepsut shored up her legitimacy as pharaoh by claiming that her mother was visited by the deity Amon-Ra while pregnant with her, thus signalling her divinity. 2. Khufu (reign 2589 ‒ 2566 BC)įrom Cleopatra to Catherine de Medici, women in power receive very different criticisms to men. This pyramid, in which Djoser was buried, was the first structure to realise the iconic step design. What is known, however, is that he oversaw the construction of the famous step pyramid at Saqqara, a hugely significant milestone in ancient Egyptian architecture. ![]() Djoser (reign 2686 BC – 2649 BC)ĭjoser is perhaps the most famous Third Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh, but little is known about his life. Yet, despite the spiritual reverence with which they were regarded, the pharaohs were also responsible for the more earthly concerns of leadership, and each Egyptian pharaoh had a unique legacy some were architectural innovators or revered military leaders while others were brilliant diplomats. Interpretations varied from ruler to ruler, of course, but the pharaohs were generally thought to be imbued with divinity and were effectively regarded as intermediaries between the gods and people. The Ancient Egyptian pharaoh’s role was both political and religious. But the stories of the Ancient Egyptian pharaohs undoubtedly bring us closer to a fascinating civilization that spanned over 3,000 years and 170 pharaohs. The remarkable sophistication of the Ancient Egyptian empire is still hard to reconcile with how far back in time it existed. ![]()
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