A great
dynasty, the power of which was comparable with that of the Old Kingdom. The
building works all over Egypt have practical aspects, causing immense industrial
development. The kings introduce co-regency to facilitate a succession to the
throne as a permanent element of rule. After all they were brilliant
administrators, builders and warriors.
Many important pieces of literature have been written at that times:
Precepts of Amenemhet, Tail of Sinuhe, Story of the Shipwrecked Sailor, Story of
the Oasis inhabitant, Loyalistic Precepts
showing relationship between loyality to the king and private happiness, The
Dramatic Papyrus, Semna Dispatches – records of a crew of
fortresses at Nubian boundary, Eloquent Peasant,
and many more. Base of this collection are 23 papyri found by Quibell in 1896 at
Ramesseum.
To view the transcription of kings titulary properly,
please
download and install transliteration font.
Hr sHtp-ib-tawi
Hor Setetepibtawi
(Horus, Who Satisfies The Heart Of The Two Lands)
sHtp-ib-ra
Sehetepibre(The
One
Who Satisfies
The Heart
Of Re; Satisfied Is The Heart Of Re)
imn-mHAt
Amenemhat
(Amun Is The
Foremost)
second stage of reign
Hr wHm-mswt
Horus Wehemmesut
(Horus,
Repeated Of
Births)
sHtp-ib-ra
Sehetepibre(The
One
Who Satisfies
The Heart
Of Re; Satisfied Is The Heart Of Re)
imn-mHAt
Amenemhat
(Amun Is The
Foremost)
His
origin is unknown, maybe vizier of Mentuhotep IV,
an according to one of hypotheses might have been also coregent of the
latter (a pot of Lisht presents names of the two rulers). He enhanced
power of nomarchs, reformed administrative system of the Land.
Originating from Thebes, he founded a capital at Itj-tawy (Lisht). One
of his numerous wives was queen Nefru-Tatenen, mother of Senweseret
I, another wife was called Didit. Numerous traces of building activities
– Kantir, Bubastis, Heliopolis, Memphis, Wadi Natrun, Abydos, Dendera,
Koptos, Tod, Thebes and more. In 29 year of his reign he organized
campaign to Nubia, he warred also against Asiatic Bedouins. 11 years
before his death (1971 BC) he associated his eldest son with him as
coregent. He was murdered in a court coup at a time Senweseret
was away. However this hypothesis is not fully proved. Burial place –
pyramid complex at Lisht, near the residence at Itj-tawy. Apart from
the ruler’s pyramid, the complex included tombs of queen and princesses
and mastabas of court nobles. The side of king’s pyramid was 55m long
and its slope was 54o.
Hr anx-ms-wt
Horus Ankhmesut
(Horus,
Living Of
Births)
xpr-kA-ra
Kheperkare(The Ka
Of Re
Has
Come Into
Being)
s(i)-n-wsrt
Senweseret(Man
From Weseret; Man Of Goddess
Wosret)
Son
of Amenemhat I by queen Nehru-Tathenen. Having adjusted internal affairs
related to the murder of his father he started conquest of Nubia.
His army reaches to the III Cataract. In year 24 of his reign Egyptian
army commanded by Nesmonth campaigned against Bedouins. Three years
before his death he admitted to co-regency his son Amenemhat III.
Building activities of this ruler are known as: Satis chapel at
Elephantine, Edfu, Hierakonpolis, El-Kab, Temple of Montu at Tod,
numerous structures at Karnak, dendera, Abydos and many other places all
over the Land. Burial place – pyramid
complex at Lisht, 2 km south to the Amenemhat I pyramid. 9 minor
pyramids of queens and princesses are surrounding the king’s one. In the
New Kingdom period Sesostris was deified and worshipped as a god
protecting Theban necropolis.
Hr Hkn-m-mAat
Hor Hekenenmaat
(Horus,
The One
Who
Is Praised
With Maat)
nbw-kAw-ra
Nebkaure(The
Kas Of Re
Are Golden;
Golden Are The Souls Of Re)
imn-m-HAt
Amenemhat
(Amon Is
The Foremost;
Amon Is At The Head)
Son
of Senweseret I. During
his reign
he developed trade with neighboring countries, organized expeditions to
Nubia and Punt. He also encouraged partnership with Asiatic countries.
Some punitive expeditions were also recorded at that time, expedition to
Syria resulted in occupation of two fortified cities and more than 1500
captives were sent to Egypt. They were next employed by building works
at royal necropolis. To great extent the king reinforced independence of
nomarchs, who were allowed to keep army of their own. Burial place -
white pyramid at Dahshur built of
white limestone from Tura is now greatly damaged and poorly explored.
There is a limestone sarcophagus in funerary chamber.
Hr sSmw-tAwi
Hor Seshemutaui
(Horus,
Who Leads
The Two Lands)
xai-xpr-ra
Khakheperre
(The
Shape Of Re
Has Appeared;
The Soul Of Re Comes Into Being)
s(i)-n-wsrt
Senweseret(Man
From Weseret; Man Of Goddess
Wosret)
Turin
Canon
assigns 19 years of rule, although the lack of relics dated to the times
before year 9 year of his rule lets us to verify this opinion. To great
degree he enforced the economy mainly thanks to the land drainage near
Fayum. It is known that he lead some military operations at Nubia where
he started to build a stronghold at Mirgissa. Similarly to predecessors,
his funerary complex was located near
el-Lahun, Base of the pyramid is 107 m long, height - 48m, entrance
hidden in the southern wall. Funerary chamber were found: red granite
sarcophagus, sacrificial table and gold uraeus from the king’s circlet.
Senweseret II was the
father of Senweseret
III and Senweseret-Seneb
and princesses: Sathathor-Junat, Hatshepsut, Nofret, Itakait.
Hr nTri-xprw
Hor Neterikheperu
(Horus,
Divine Of
Shape)
nTri-xprw-kAw
Hor Neterikheperukau
xai-kAw-ra
Khakaure(The
Kas Of Re
Have
Appeared)
s(i)-n-wsrt
Senweseret(Man
From Weseret; Man Of Goddess
Wosret)
Son
of Senweseret II. Very energetic and warlike
ruler. He warred in Nubia and Asia, also in Libya. He moved southern
boundaries of Egypt as far as beyond the Second Cataract. Turin Canon
gives 30 years of rule while most historians (Schneider, Lerhnar, Bietak,
Franke) assume 19 years. Another group of scholars (Helck, Beckerath)
believe that Sesostris III ruled much longer. Their hypothesis is based
upon newly discovered (in 1994) at Abydos inscription from Senuseret’s
cenotaph, which records events from 39 year of his rule. A few campaigns
in Nubia and at least one in Asia Minor prove his incredible military
dispositions. Making a canal by the Third Cataract facilitated the
Egyptian fleet access to Semna at the Second Cataract, where numerous
fortresses were built. Senuseret left after him many temples at
Armant, Medamud, Abydos, Faiyum, Bubastis. His burial place including
also his royal wife Sebekshedti-Neferu and children –
pyramid complex at Dahshur
patterned on Djoser’s complex. No stone at the core (mudbrick covered
with limestone from Tura) resulted in vast damage of the edifice. Since
New Kingdom Senweseret was worshipped, especially
at Nubia. He was the hero of ancient story, a king-warrior and
predecessor of the greatest conquerors –
Tuthmosis III,
Ramesses II and Alexander
the Great.
imn-m-HAt
Amenemhat
(Amon Is
The Foremost;
Amon Is At The Head)
Son
of Senweseret III and
queen Sebekshedti-Neferu. Great builder and organizer. He farmed the
Faiyum Oasis and Lake of Moeris erecting at el-Lahun a dam.Near Dahshur he erected his first pyramid,
with burial places of royal wives and daughters around
it. At city of
Hawara he ordered to build
second pyramid and gorgeous
mortuary temple, called later by Greeks the Labyrinth. At the
Hawara pyramid, a putative burial place of Amenemhat , burial chamber
was hollowed out in huge quartzite block, weighing 110 tons. This
magnificent funerary complex is sometimes recognized as a legendary
Labyrinth, has been partly damaged yet during the dynasty XIII and
since then has been undergoing successive erosion. Amenemhat exploited
turquoise mines in Sinai and quarries at wadi Hammamat, Tura, Toshka,
Wadi el-Hudi. He sent war campaigns to Nubia and erected fortresses.
Apart from funerary complexes at Dahshur and Hawara he built at Biahmu
(colossal statues), Medinet Maadi (Temple of Renenutet and Sobek) ,
temple of Sobek at Crocodilopolis, temple of Harsafes at Ehnasija
el-Medina and at Bubastis, Memphis, Abydos, Kuban. The king was still
worshipped as Lameres in Roman period. Turin Canon gives 40 years of rule.
Hr xpr-xprw
Hor Kheperkheperu
(Horus,
The
Transformation Of
Transformations)
mAa-xrw-ra
Nimaatkherure
(The Voice Of Re
Is True)
imn-m-HAt
Amenemhat
(Amon Is
The Foremost;
Amon Is At The Head)
Supposedly
son of Amenemhat III (or his grand-son), succeeded the throne
after long lasting reign of his father, being himself at that time
rather aged. From his reign the Egyptian empire slowly comes into
disorder. Four expeditions to Sinai for building purposes are recorded.
Traces of building activities of Amenemhat IV are found also at
Crocodilopolis, Heliopolis, Medinet Maadi, Semna in Nubia. Having no
male successor he left the throne to his sister – wife, Sobekneferure.
Presumably
pyramid at Mazguna (between Memphis
and Fayum) was his burial place. Turin Canon gives 9 years, 3 months
and 27 days of rule.
ra-nfrw-sbk
Sobekneferure
(Sobek Is
The Beauty
Of Re)
nfrw-sbk-Sdti
Sobekneferushedti
Turin
Canon
assigns 3 years, 10 months and 24 days of rule, while Manetho
– 4 years. She was younger sister (and wife) of Amenemhat IV, presumably
daughter of Amenemhat III. Statues of Tell ed-Daba and architrave of
Herakleopolis are preserved. Inscription on the nilometer at Nubian
Semna records 3 years of her rule. Building of
pyramid at Mazghuna has not been completed, and probably never used,
only its underground part was finished.
