King Amenhotep III and his famous love story

King Amenhotep III, stories and secrets revealed by the ancient Egyptian through his great civilization that spans thousands of years, and they continue to dazzle the world until now. From time to time, one of the mysteries of that history that extends over several centuries is solved, some of which were recorded on the walls of temples in the time of ancient Egyptian writing. Others have not yet been recorded, but are revealed by archaeological treasures emerging from the ground.

About King Amenhotep III

 

King Amenhotep III (sometimes written Amenophis III) was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, and one of the greatest rulers of Egypt in history. He ruled Egypt in the period between (1391 BC – 1353 BC) or (1388 BC – 1351 BC)

In the second year of his reign, Amenhotep III married Queen Tiye. She did not have royal origins, but her parents held high-ranking positions in the state.

She gave birth to his successor, Amenhotep IV, who believed in one god and represented him in the sun (Aten) as the giver of life. He called himself Akhenaten, which means “the savior of Aten.”

King Amenhotep III had many wives, including diplomatic marriages to foreign princesses, such as Princess Gluheba, daughter of the King of Metna (in Iraq today).

And the princess of two rivers, and he married his sister Isis. In the thirtieth year, he married another sister of his called Set Amun.

It is known that he fathered six children, including two sons, Thutmose, the eldest son, who died during his lifetime, and Amenhotep IV, and four daughters. It is possible that Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) shared the throne with his father and was one of the last to worship Amun.

The love story of King Amenhotep III

 

In his mid-teens, Amenhotep was focused not on the army, but on his one true love, a woman named Ti. She was mentioned as the “Great Royal Wife They married as a child!”

She was a truly amazing woman. Her parents, Yuya and Touya, were non-royal officials; her father was a charioteer and a priest, while her mother was a priestess.

The tomb of Yuya and Toya was discovered in 1905, archaeologists have found a lot of riches there, and DNA testing carried out on their mummies in recent years has proven key in identifying the unidentified bodies.

One of Tiye’s brothers was a prominent priest named Anin, and many have suggested that the famous Eighteenth Dynasty official Ay, the alleged father of Queen Nefertiti and eventual pharaoh after King Tut, was one of her brothers.

The love story of King Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye is the story that challenged customs and traditions about her and for which he ordered changing the sacred laws of the priests of Amun.

Tiye was of non-royal blood and it was not permissible for them to marry. For her sake, he ordered the creation of a vast lake for his great beloved, and for her sake he ordered the establishment of a temple dedicated to her worship in the Sadanqa area, 210 km south of Wadi Halfa.

This love is also witnessed by a giant statue of the king, with his beloved Tiye sitting next to him in the same size, in an artistic indication of the elevation of the matter and the greatness of love.

So Ti married her husband when they were very young, but the most interesting thing about her is the way she is depicted in statues.

Amenhotep ordered statues showing him, the king, and Ti in the same size, indicating their importance in the royal court, which were equal to statues of the pharaoh.

In a culture where visual size was everything, bigger was better, so an equally big king and big queen showed them as equals.

This egalitarian depiction is largely unprecedented, showing Amenhotep’s devotion to his wife, allowing her to exert an influence similar to his own, so that Ti assumes masculine and regal poses, appearing on her throne as a sphinx who crushes her enemies.

And obtains her own sphinx, now, Not only is she an equal to the king in the way she is portrayed, but she fulfills his roles

King Amenhotep III and his accession to the throne

 

Our story today is with King Amenhotep III (1405-1370 BC), who assumed power at a young age, after the death of his father, King Tuthmosis IV, at the age of approximately twelve.

And his mother had a secondary wife called “Mut-em-Wya”, and he continued to rule the country alone. For about thirty-six years, during which he was the greatest monarch in the civilized world.

And Egypt was the largest empire in the ancient East and the one with political and literary sovereignty in it.

King Amenhotep III was considered the greatest king who carried out construction and reconstruction work during the era of the Eighteenth Dynasty, and the activity

An interest that the previous kings exerted in the fierce wars was exploited by him in designing the buildings with which he wanted to decorate his country.

In the early years of his reign, King Amenhotep III was interested in sports, especially hunting and hunting, as he was a great hunter

Where a scarab was found for him recording that he captured a hundred wild bulls on a royal hunting trip that lasted two days, and another scarab that he released in the tenth year.

It was mentioned that since his accession to the throne, he had killed 102 lions on hunting trips. He showed little interest in military operations, as King Amenhotep III faced some unrest in the fifth year of his rule in the country of Kush (Nubia).

But the fighting was taking place with a small group of rebels, and after he defeated them, he expanded his territory until he reached the Fourth Cataract.

A memorial of this campaign was written near the rocks of Konoso Island in Nubia, and his campaign against Nubia was described on a stela of obesity, which is now in the British Museum.

Another revolution took place in the town of Abhat, located after the Second Cataract, and Nubia had self-administration under the supervision of the royal son of Kush.

Amenhotep sent his deputy to the southern regions and the king’s son to suppress the revolution, but King Amenhotep III did not participate in it. Most of his rule was characterized by stability and prosperity.

Effects and achievements of Amenhotep III

 

King Amenhotep III built a temple in Thebes, but it was completely destroyed after that. He also built several temples in Thebes, and in Karnak he built a temple for the god Montu, the god of war, who was the lord of the Theban region.

Then he was replaced by the god Amun, and another temple for the god Mut, the wife of the god Amun-Ra.

He also contributed to the Temple of Amun, the main temple in Karnak, by building the third edifice of the temple. Amenhotep was loyal to the god Ra and built the Karnak Temple for him to avoid the soothsayers that his mother was a foreign woman.

The greatest building erected by Amenhotep in Thebes was his funerary temple. Traces of it were found in the Delta, Tura, Banha, Memphis, Giza, Cape, Arment, and also in Sinai.

King Amenhotep III has two seated statues known as the Colossi of Memnon in Western Thebes, each carved from a single piece of red sandstone and reaching a height of 15 meters without the base. They were erected by the engineer Amenhotep Ibn Habu.

They decorated the facade of his funerary temple, which was completely destroyed, and they now stand next to the road leading to the royal temples and tombs of the kings in the cemetery.

The reason for the fame of the two statues is that when an earthquake occurred in the year 27 BC, it shook the Thebes region and led to the northern statue splitting into two halves at its waist.

After that, the stone sent sound vibrations through an internal action resulting from the sudden changes in humidity and temperature at dawn

So a legend appeared that the statue emits sounds of lamentation by the mother of the Ethiopian hero Memnon Aurora, goddess of dawn, over her son who fell in the field of Troy every morning.

From him the name of the two statues was taken. King Amenhotep III also issued many commemorative scarabs, of which we know five scarabs that have been preserved over time. The oldest of them confirms the title of Queen Tiye as the main queen.

The death of King Amenhotep III and his tomb

 

King Amenhotep III died after ruling for 38 years, at the age of fifty, perhaps due to an unknown illness. The tomb that he prepared for himself was discovered in 1799, which is tomb No. 22 in the Valley of the Kings.

It was discovered by Gouloh and Devillier. It was found empty and the walls were destroyed due to pressure and weather factors, and his mummy was not inside it.

His mummy was found in a cemetery near Deir el-Bahri. It was hidden by priests and discovered in 1881.

Unraveling the Legacy of King Amenhotep III

 

Who was King Amenhotep III?

Amenhotep III was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, reigning from about 1386 to 1349 BC. Known for his prosperous and stable rule, he expanded Egypt’s wealth and influence significantly.

What were King Amenhotep III’s major achievements?

Amenhotep III is celebrated for his vast building projects, including the construction of temples and statues, most famously the Colossi of Memnon. He enhanced Egypt’s trade networks and fostered diplomatic relations with neighboring regions.

How did Amenhotep III contribute to Egyptian architecture?

During his reign, Amenhotep III commissioned an extensive array of structures across Egypt. He built the Luxor Temple and expanded the Karnak Temple complex. His reign marked a high point in ancient Egyptian art and architecture.

What was Amenhotep III’s relationship with other nations?

Amenhotep III was a skilled diplomat. He maintained peace through marriage alliances and treaties, notably with Mitanni, Babylon, and Assyria. His diplomacy helped secure Egypt’s influence and prosperity.

What role did religion play in Amenhotep III’s reign?

Religion was central to Amenhotep III’s rule. He promoted the worship of the sun god Aten and initiated a religious shift that would continue under his successors. He was also seen as a divine manifestation.

How did Amenhotep III influence the arts?

His reign marked a golden age for Egyptian art. He encouraged artistic innovation, resulting in more lifelike and dynamic representations in sculptures, reliefs, and paintings, which reflected the wealth and power of his era.

What was the significance of the Amarna Letters in Amenhotep III’s reign?

The Amarna Letters are a collection of diplomatic correspondence from Amenhotep III’s time. They offer insights into his diplomatic relations, showcasing his strategic alliances and the international scope of his influence.

How did Amenhotep III ensure the continuity of his dynasty?

He secured his dynasty’s future by appointing his son, Amenhotep IV (later Akhenaten), as co-regent. This transition facilitated a smooth succession, maintaining stability and continuity in Egyptian leadership.

Where is Amenhotep III buried?

Amenhotep III was initially buried in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. However, due to tomb robberies, his mummy was moved several times and eventually found in a cache in Deir el-Bahri.

Why is Amenhotep III’s reign considered a peak of ancient Egyptian civilization?

His era was marked by prosperity, stability, and cultural and artistic flourishing. His diplomatic and architectural achievements laid the groundwork for what many consider the apex of ancient Egyptian civilization.