Thutmose III Biography

Thutmose III was the sixth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty who ruled Egypt from 1479 BC to 1425 BC. Regarded as one of the greatest rulers of ancient Egypt, he created the biggest empire Egypt had ever seen. He conquered over 350 cities, including all of Syria. He crossed the Euphrates to defeat the Mitannians and penetrated south along the Nile to Napata in the Sudan. Thutmose III, the son of Thutmose II, was also a great builder and constructed over 50 monuments and temples. Following his father’s death in 1479 BC, he had little power over the kingdom due to his young age. As a result, his stepmother Queen Hatshepsut became his regent and later declared herself to be the pharaoh. Thutmose III was initially made the head of Hatshepsut’s armies. He later went on to become Egypt's greatest conqueror and conducted at least 16 campaigns in 20 years. During the final years of his reign, Thutmose III appointed his son Amenhotep II as his junior co-regent. He had several wives and numerous children. He died in 1425 BC, after ruling Egypt for about 54 years. His mummy was later discovered in 1881, in the Deir el-Bahri Cache located on the west bank of Nile.