Narmer: The First King Pharaoh Khufu: the Pyramid Builder Narmer (c. 3150BCE) is the legendary first king of Egypt who is thought to have united Upper and Lower Egypt through conquest and founded both the The Pharaoh Khufu ruled from about 2551 to 2528 B.C., during the First Dynasty and the great city of Memphis. In the early days of Egyptology, Old Kingdom period. Today he is best known as the builder of a Narmer was accepted as the first historical king based upon the written famous pyramid. records. As time went by, however, and archaeological excavations failed to turn up any evidence of such a king, scholars began to question whether he Not that much is known about what Khufu was like. Some stories had actually existed or was, perhaps, a figure drawn from the blended describe him as a cruel, harsh ruler. Others say he was powerful but memory of the reigns of other kings. kind.
Prior to Narmer, there was conflict between the city states of Upper and We do know that Khufu helped establish the pharaoh as a central Lower Egypt resulting in chaos. Legend says there came the great king who authority. For example, he kept strict control over Egypt’s food brought order and prosperity. It was understood that chaos could come again, supply. This involved overseeing the harvest and storing extra grain. however, and so the king needed to be vigilant and a mighty warrior who He controlled a large network of government officials who carried out could subdue the forces of chaos when the need arose. his laws. Khufu emphasized his supreme power by declaring himself a god. Narmer came from the city of Hierkanopolis (Here-can-op-po-liss) and conquered neighboring cities Thinis and Naqada, before embarking on the Khufu and other Old Kingdom pharaoh’s had magnificent pyramids campaign to subdue Lower Egypt. Once Egypt was unified and at peace, he built as tombs for themselves and their families. Khufu himself was instituted religious practices and formalized beliefs. His reign was so responsible for the building of the Great Pyramid at Giza. It is one of prosperous (lasting 62 years) that the Egyptians did not have to work as hard the wonders of the ancient world. as they used to and developed hobbies such as carving, sculpting, sports, brewing beer, cultivating private gardens and living in luxury. The Great Pyramid sat at the center of a huge complex of temples, statues, monuments, and smaller tombs. It was made of more than 2 Legend claims that Narmer rode on the back of a crocodile to escape rabid million stone blocks that fit together perfectly. Inside, tunnels led to hunting dogs (founding the city of Crocodilopolis), founded the great city of Memphis, and established his capital there. According to Herodotus, Narmer several burial chambers. The king’s chamber had six roofs to hold up built Memphis after constructing a dam on the Nile to divert water away the weight of the stones above it. from the chosen site of his city and created his great palace and Building the Great Pyramid was an amazing feat. No one knows administrative buildings on land which had been under water (which accounted for the fertility of the surrounding plains). He instituted the exactly how the Egyptians did it. The pyramid took more than 20 practice of sacrificing to the gods and ensured that harmony was observed years to complete. Khufu maintained full control of the building throughout the land. After a long and prosperous reign, he was carried off project. He organized and fed thousands of workers. The completed (likely killed) by a hippopotamus. It is not surprising that a hippopotamus pyramid was a stunning monument to Egyptian engineering. should feature in Narmer’s end. The hippo in Egyptian culture was a fearsome creature who was regularly hunted and killed. Death by hippo was considered among the worst ways to die. Pharaoh Senusret I: Patron of the Arts Pharaoh Hatshepsut: Promoter of Egyptian trade
The Pharaoh Senusret I (Sen-ooh-sret the first) ruled from about 1971 to The pharaoh Hatshepsut ruled from about 1473 to 1458 B.C. 1926 B.C., during the Middle Kingdom. He was a strong leader who ruled a Hatshepsut was Egypt’s first female pharaoh. Under her rule, stable, unified Egypt. Art, literature, and architecture flourished during his Egyptian art and architecture flourished. She was also known for reign. encouraging trade.
Craftspeople thrived under Senusret’s rule. The pharaoh controlled mines One of Hatshepsut’s greatest accomplishments was simply gaining loaded with gold, copper, and gems such as purple amethyst. Craftspeople power. Never before had Egypt been ruled by a woman. At first she fashioned these materials into beautiful pieces of jewelry. Bracelets and necklaces were often highly detailed. They were then decorated with stones shared power with her male relatives. However, she soon took over as like turquoise. the sole ruler.
Some of the greatest works in Egyptian literature were written during Hatshepsut strengthened her position in several ways. She filled her Senusret’s reign. “The Story of Sinuhe” (SIN-who) tells of a young official government with loyal advisors. She demanded the same respect as a names Sinuhe who overhears a plot to kill the pharaoh. Fearing for his own male ruler. Sometimes she wore men’s’ clothing and the fake beards life, Sinuhe flees Egypt. He thrives in his new land, but he grows very that were worn by male pharaohs. Artists were often instructed to homesick. When a new pharaoh calls him home, Sinuhe returns joyfully. portray her as a man. She also spread stories that her father was a god.
Senusret’s greatest accomplishments were in religious architecture. He built As pharaoh, Hatshepsut promoted trade with other countries, and was and improved many temples, shrines, and religious monuments. Perhaps more interested in trade and political ties than war. Egypt lacked trees, Senusret’s finest architectural achievement was the White Chapel (a small but they still needed to build boats and furniture, so they found this temple). It was made of alabaster, a hard white stone. Some historians think product in Lebanon. The people from there, the Phoenicians traded the chapel was originally covered in a thin layer of gold. with the Egyptians: Egyptians gave wheat, paper, and metal for Beautiful artwork decorated the chapel’s pillars. Carved scenes showed the Phoenician purple dye, wood, and furniture. The Phoenicians then pharaoh with various gods. Birds, animals, and Egyptian symbols were also traded Egyptian goods to others and help spread the Egyptian culture. depicted. Hatshepsut left behind a stunning monument to her reign, a great Senusret wanted his memory to live on through his monuments but almost temple at Dayr al-Bahri. The main part of the temple was built into a none of his buildings survived the passage of time. A later pharaoh took the cliff above the Nile River. At the entrance were two tall, thin White Chapel apart and used the pieces in a monument of his own. monuments called obelisks. The entrance was also graced by 200 Archeologists later discovered the pieces and reconstructed the White sphinx statues. The sphinx is a mythical creature with the body of a Chapel. lion and the head of a man.
Scenes from Hatshepsut’s reign decorated the temple walls. Detailed carvings portrayed the great voyage to Punt. The carvings showed the wondrous things that the pharaoh’s traders had brought back to Egypt. Nefertiti: The Sun Queen Amenhotep/Akhenaten: Religious Leader
Queen Nefertiti ruled from about 1372-1350b.c. alongside her husband Historians are unsure when the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (ah-men-ho- Akhenaten. It is thought she may have been an Asian princess from tep the fourth) ruled, but know his reign came to an end in 1354b.c. He Mitanni. She encouraged and supported her husband (Akhenaten) in changed his name to Akhenaten (ah-ken-ah-tin) and defied tradition by his revolutionary ideas about religion and together they took on the establishing a new religion that believed that there is but one god; the religious establishment. sun god Aten. By the time Akhenaten took the throne, his family had been ruling Egypt for nearly two hundred years and had established a Her reign with Akhenaten was unlike the traditional ways Egypt had huge empire dominating Palestine, Phoenicia, and Nubia. seen. She was more than just a typical queen and helped to promote At the beginning of his reign, the young pharaoh Amenhotep IV, still Akhenaten’s views of a single god worthy of worship. Her reign was worshiped the old gods, especially Amun (AH-mun) of Thebes and the only 12 years, but she was perhaps one of the most powerful queens to sun god, Re-Harakhte. However, within a few years there were ever rule. changes. He abandoned work on a temple dedicated to Re-Harakhte and began to build a new temple to worship the sun god Aten. As queen, she took on powerful roles and showed herself in ways only Egyptian kings did. For example, she was often shown with the crown He moved his capital from Thebes to a place now called Tell el- of a pharaoh or was depicted in scenes of battle smiting (beating) her Amarna or Amarna, more than 200 miles (300 km) north, on a desert enemies. Akhenaten valued her so much, that he also allowed her to bay on the east side of the Nile River. Here he began to build a new practice that art of priesthood and she too was allowed to make city, which he called Akhetaten, “Horizon of Aten.” offerings to Aten. Akhenaten’s rule is significant because it marks the first instance of Little is known about what happened to Nefertiti at the end of her the worship of a single deity. When Akhenaten declared Aten as the twelve year reign. Many theories abound, but nothing if known for only god, he created what is considered to be the first monotheistic certain, not even the location of her tomb. religion in history.
After eighteen long years as pharaoh, Akhenaten died. He was so hated as pharaoh that almost everything bearing his name or likeness
was destroyed and his temples were demolished. Neither his tomb, nor his mummy, have been found.
Pharaoh Ramses II: Military Leader and Master Builder
The Pharaoh Ramses II ruled from about 1290 to 1224 B.C., during the New Kingdom. Called Ramses the Great, he is one of the most famous pharaohs. He reigned for more than 60 years, longer than almost any other pharaoh. He is best known for his military leadership and for building numerous monuments. Ramses did everything in a bid way. He had over 100 wives and more than 100 children. He wasn’t shy about glorifying himself, either. He had hundreds of statues of himself erected all around Egypt. Some of them were over 60 feet tall. Ramses was a fearless soldier from a young age. He fought alongside his father in various battles. He was made a captain in the Egyptian army at the age of 10. Ramses tried to defend an Egyptian empire that extended north in Canaan. His most famous military campaigns were against the Hittite Empire in Anatolia (now the country of Turkey). The Hittites constantly threatened Egypt’s northern borders. In his most famous battle, Ramses reached a standoff with the Hittites even though he was badly outnumbered. Ramses was also a peacemaker. He and the Hittites signed the world’s first peace treaty. This peace lasted until the Hittite Empire collapsed around 1190 B.C. One of Ramses’ most impressive projects was the temple complex at Abu Simbel. The main temple was carved into the side of a cliff on a bank of the Nile River. A smaller temple honored his favorite wife, Nefertari. Four giant seated statues of Ramses framed the entrance to the main temple. The figures were sculpted right out of the rock face of the cliff. They are among the finest examples of Egyptian art. The inside of the temple was also remarkable. Visitors passed through three large rooms, called halls, to reach the temple’s main room. The room’s altar contained statues of Ramses and three Egyptian gods. The temple was built so that tice a year the sun lined up with the entrance. Beams of sunlight would shine down the halls and light up the statues. Ramses built more temples and monuments than any other pharaoh in history. When he died, he was buried in a tomb that he had had constructed for himself. His is one of the best-preserved mummies ever found.