Amenhotep III


Amenhotep III was a pharaoh from the 18th Dynasty, 1570-1293 BC. He was born around 1386-1349 BC to Thutmosis IV and Queen Mutemwiya. He was also the great-son of Thutmosis III and had many wives. One chief wife was Tiy, daughter of Yuya and Tuya, whose mummies are among the best preserved in Egypt. Amenhotep had two sons, The older died leaving Amenhotep IV to take the throne. Amenhotep IV would later change his name to Akhenaten!
After taking the throne at the age of 12, Amenhotep III's reign lasted almost 40 years and was one of relative peace. The stability and prosperity during his time was due to international trade and a strong gold supply, not from conquest and expansionism. He did lead campaigns, but mainly earlier on in his reign. Amenhotep built many splendid temples and statuary, including many large lifelike statues of himself.
One of Amenhotep III’s greatest building achievements was the Temple of Amun. This is now in modern day Luxor. One of the famous reliefs on the east side of this temple consists of a royal birth scene. This was built to establish the legitimacy of his rule by depicting his birth directly from the god Amun. Amenhotep also built the third pylon at the Temple of Karnak and initiated construction on the Hypostyle hall which contain reliefs depicting the coronation of Amenhotep III by the gods of Egypt. Across the Nile River, Amenhotep built a fabulous palace at Malkata which included small chapels, large audience halls, parade grounds, villas for public officials, kitchens, offices workshops and quarters for servants.
Yet another example of using sacred temples for quarrying in later times is the destruction of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III in the 19th Dynasty by Merneptah, son of Ramesses II. All that remains on the original site of this temple are the huge, seated statues of Amenhotep III, which later became known by the misnomer of the Colossi of Memnon.
After 39 years of reign, Amenhotep died from an undefined illness, at the age of 50. His tomb has been identified in the Valley of The Kings as tomb KV22, which is decorated with a version of the "Book of What Is In The Underworld". His mummy is believed to have been recovered in the Royal cache that was found in the tomb of Amenhotep II