New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt

The era known as the “New Kingdom” took place in the course of ancient Egypt’s history. From roughly 1520 BC until 1075 BC, it lasted. The New Kingdom represented the height of Egyptian civilization. It was a period of great wealth, power, and success.

In the New Kingdom, whose dynasties were in power?

During the New Kingdom, Egypt’s Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Egyptian Dynasties held power. The most well-known and powerful Egyptian pharaohs, including Ramses II, Thutmose III, Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, and Akhentaten, were among them.

Rise of the New Kingdom

The Second Intermediate Period preceded the New Kingdom of Egypt. The Hyksos, a foreign nation, governed northern Egypt during this period. Ahmose I, a ten-year-old, ruled Lower Egypt around 1540 BC. Ahmose I excelled as a leader. He overthrew the Hyksos and brought Egypt as a whole under his authority. The New Kingdom era officially began at this point.

Egyptian Empire

The Egyptian Empire expanded to the greatest extent during the New Kingdom. Pharaohs led extensive conquest operations that conquered territory in the east (Israel, Lebanon, Syria) and the south (Kush, Nubia). Egypt increased trade at the same time with numerous other countries and monarchs. They imported luxury products from all over the world and amassed enormous wealth thanks to the gold mines in Nubia.

Temples

The wealthy New Kingdom pharaohs erected enormous temples to the gods. The imperial culture was still centered in the city of Thebes. At Thebes, the Temple of Luxor was constructed, while the Temple of Karnak underwent impressive renovations. The massive Mortuary Temples were also constructed by Pharaohs as a form of self-adoration. These included the Temple of Hatshepsut and Abu Simbel, both constructed for Ramses II.

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is one of the most well-known archeological sites from the New Kingdom. The New Kingdom pharaohs were interred in the Valley of the Kings for 500 years, beginning with Thutmose I. The tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, which was virtually unaltered when it was unearthed, is the most well-known tomb in the Valley of the Kings. It contained riches, works of art, and the mummy of King Tut.

Fall of the New Kingdom

Ramesses III presided over the waning of the once-powerful Egyptian Empire. Ramesses III faced numerous conflicts, including a sea peoples invasion and tribesmen from Libya. There was instability throughout Egypt as a result of these battles, a terrible drought, and starvation. Internal rivalries and corruption in the central government grew worse in the years following Ramesses III’s passing. Ramesses XI reigned as the final pharaoh of the New Kingdom. Egypt was no longer unified after his rule, and the Third Intermediate Period started.

Intermediate Period III

Egypt was generally split throughout the Third Intermediate Period, and it also came under attack from other forces. The Kingdom of Kush initially attacked them from the south. Around 650 BC, the Assyrians launched an offensive and eventually took control of much of Egypt.

Fascinating Facts about the New Kingdom of Egypt

During the Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties, eleven pharaohs went by the name Ramesses (or Ramses). The Ramesside period is another name for this time frame.

One of the few female pharaohs was Hatshepsut. For around 20 years, she was the ruler of Egypt.

Thutmose III’s reign saw the height of the Egyptian Empire. Sometimes people refer to him as “Napoleon of Egypt.”

The old religion of Egypt was abandoned by Pharaoh Akhenaten in favor of the worship of the lone, all-powerful god Aten. He created a brand-new capital city called Amarna in homage to Aten.