Amenhotep II

Amenhotep II succeeded his renowned father Thutmose III, inheriting an empire at the apex of its geopolitical reach. He reigned from about 1427 to 1400 BC, with dates uncertain by about a decade. Reared in the royal military tradition, he fostered an official image centred on exceptional physical strength, horsemanship and archery skills, celebrating these feats on prominent public stelae.

Early in his sole reign, he conducted aggressive campaigns into the Levant to crush rebellions and preserve Egyptian hegemony over vital trade corridors. Once these uprisings were quelled, a lasting peace developed between Egypt and Mitanni. In Egypt, he constructed a calcite barque shrine at Karnak and a temple dedicated to the Great Sphinx at Giza. His rock-cut tomb in the Valley of the Kings, KV35, is among the most architecturally refined of the dynasty. Scholars know of his deeds from historical victory stelae at Amada and Memphis, building inscriptions at Karnak and the preservation of his mummy within his original sarcophagus in KV35.

Monuments

• Tomb KV35
• Karnak Calcite shrine
• Sphinx Temple at Giza

Explore further

Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.