Egyptian Pharaohs

KHUFU: The Pyramid King Historians believe he ruled sometime in the 25th century B.C. Very little is known about him, but he is best known for being the pharaoh responsible for the Great Pyramid at Giza which he built as his tomb. His son Khafre, is responsible for another world-famous symbol of Egypt: The Great Sphinx.

Hatshepsut: Her Majesty the ‘King’ 1479 B.C to 1458 B.C. Hatshepsut was the first woman to rule as king. When her husband died, her step-son Thutmose III should have been declared the new ruler, but she didn’t allow him. She expanded Egypt by both warfare and trade. After 15 years of ruling, Hatshepsut disappeared. She may have been killed by Thutmose III.

Akhenaton: The One-God King 1353 B.C. to 1336 B.C. Ancient Egyptians had many gods (polytheists) but this changed as soon as Akhenaton became ruler. He was King Tut’s father. As soon as he become pharaoh, he declared that everyone would only worship one god; Aton. This angered many people. After he died, people went back to worshipping many gods. His wife, Nefertiti ruled along him and is more famous than he is.

Tutankhamen: The Boy King 1333 B.C. to 1323 B.C. King Tut was only 9 years old when he became pharaoh, when his father, Akhenaton died. He was only pharaoh a short while, as he died by the age of 18. He is remembered not for what he did while he was pharaoh but because his tomb was found intact and hidden in the Valley of the Kings. It took archaeologists nearly 10 years of careful work to remove all of its belongings.

Ramses II: The King of Kings 1279 B.C. to 1213 B.C. Ramses II ruled for 66 years and became pharaoh when he was only fourteen years old. His temple has four 66-foot statues which guard it. His reign ended when he was more than 90 years old. He gave the Egyptians a long period of stability and peace.