Amenhotep III was the 9th Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty.
He ruled Egypt from 1391BC to 1354BC after his father Thutmose IV died. Amenhotep III was the son of Thutmose by Mutemwia, a minor wife of Amenhotep’s father.
His reign marks the highest point of ancient Egyptian civilisation, both in terms of cultural achievement and in political power.
Amenhotep became king at the age of 12 with his mother Mutemwia acting as his regent. Early in his reign he took a wife, Queen Tiy, who featured prominently alongside the king.
He inherited an enormous empire, which stretched from the Euphrates to Sudan.
He was the first king to send out royal news bulletins about his building projects, hunting trips, wives, and other information. The bulletins were written on large stone scarab seals and distributed throughout his empire.
His palace at Malkata in Thebes was close to his funerary temple which was the largest ever built. He also built a new temple at Luxor and the great temple of Amun at Karnak.
Amenhotep III died around 1354 BC. He was was buried in a enormous tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
He was succeeded by his son Amenhotep IV, better known as Akhenaten.
