XXIᵉ siècle av. J.-C. – XVIIIᵉ siècle av. J.-C.
Nile Valley and Lower Nubia
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The Middle Kingdom was Egypt’s second major phase of national consolidation after reunification by the rulers of Thebes. It saw administrative reorganization, renewed royal authority, expansion into Lower Nubia, fortified trade and military stations, and major hydraulic works in the Fayyum. The period ended with the weakening of the ruling family after the reigns of Amenemhet III and Amenemhet IV, followed by Queen Sobekneferu.
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The Middle Kingdom began when Thebes defeated Heracleopolis and reunited the Two Lands under a single royal authority. King Menthuhotep emerged as the dominant ruler of the Eleventh Dynasty and undertook the reorganization of Egypt’s administration after the suppression of resistance to the royal house. The political order was more exposed to insecurity than that of the Old Kingdom, even though royal power had been restored.
Menthuhotep II expressed the renewed authority of the dynasty through monumental construction at Thebes. His funerary temple at Deir el Bahari used a terraced architectural form with colonnades and a pyramid set within a columned hall. The monument became the greatest architectural achievement of the period and embodied the close relationship between royal power, funerary commemoration, and Theban rule.
The Twelfth Dynasty continued the program of centralization and expansion. Amenemhet I founded the new capital of Ithet-Tawi south of Memphis, adopted co-regency with his son Senusret I, and planned the subjugation of Nubia while extending Egyptian trade farther south. Senusret I strengthened control over Lower Nubia and established the fortress of Buhen below the Second Cataract, while later rulers developed fortifications and economic projects.
Under Senusret III, Lower Nubia was reconquered and reduced to an Egyptian province. Amenemhet III presided over an ambitious irrigation program in the Fayyum, where dams, canals, and dykes controlled Nile water and reclaimed extensive agricultural land. The dynasty lost vigor under Amenemhet IV, and the brief reign of Queen Sobekneferu marked its end.
XXIᵉ siècle av. J.-C. – XVIIIᵉ siècle av. J.-C.
Nile Valley and Lower Nubia
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The Middle Kingdom was Egypt’s second major phase of national consolidation after reunification by the rulers of Thebes. It saw administrative reorganization, renewed royal authority, expansion into Lower Nubia, fortified trade and military stations, and major hydraulic works in the Fayyum. The period ended with the weakening of the ruling family after the reigns of Amenemhet III and Amenemhet IV, followed by Queen Sobekneferu.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
The Middle Kingdom began when Thebes defeated Heracleopolis and reunited the Two Lands under a single royal authority. King Menthuhotep emerged as the dominant ruler of the Eleventh Dynasty and undertook the reorganization of Egypt’s administration after the suppression of resistance to the royal house. The political order was more exposed to insecurity than that of the Old Kingdom, even though royal power had been restored.
Menthuhotep II expressed the renewed authority of the dynasty through monumental construction at Thebes. His funerary temple at Deir el Bahari used a terraced architectural form with colonnades and a pyramid set within a columned hall. The monument became the greatest architectural achievement of the period and embodied the close relationship between royal power, funerary commemoration, and Theban rule.
The Twelfth Dynasty continued the program of centralization and expansion. Amenemhet I founded the new capital of Ithet-Tawi south of Memphis, adopted co-regency with his son Senusret I, and planned the subjugation of Nubia while extending Egyptian trade farther south. Senusret I strengthened control over Lower Nubia and established the fortress of Buhen below the Second Cataract, while later rulers developed fortifications and economic projects.
Under Senusret III, Lower Nubia was reconquered and reduced to an Egyptian province. Amenemhet III presided over an ambitious irrigation program in the Fayyum, where dams, canals, and dykes controlled Nile water and reclaimed extensive agricultural land. The dynasty lost vigor under Amenemhet IV, and the brief reign of Queen Sobekneferu marked its end.