Amenhotep I
Pl. 105 · also Amenophis I
1525 BC to 1504 BC, about 21 years · New Kingdom
Amenhotep I succeeded his father Ahmose I, ruling Egypt during a formative period of internal consolidation following the expulsion of the Hyksos. His reign lasted about 1525 to 1504 BC, with dates uncertain by about a decade. Alongside his mother, Queen Ahmose-Nefertari, he oversaw the re-establishment of royal administrative stability from the capital at Thebes.
His building works marked the revival of ambitious monumental architecture, including early stone structures at Karnak, such as an alabaster chapel. Amenhotep I and his mother were later deified by the royal tomb builders at Deir el-Medina, where they were venerated for generations as patron protectors of the community. His precise burial place remains disputed between KV39 in the Valley of the Kings and a tomb at Dra Abu el-Naga. His well-preserved mummy was recovered from the Deir el-Bahari royal cache, famously remaining unrolled. Scholars know of his reign through contemporary administrative inscriptions, temple blocks and later king lists.
Monuments
- Karnak Chapel
- Deir el-Medina
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Dates are conventional and approximate. See method and sources.