Amenhotep I

The second pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, Amenhotep I likely ascended the throne after the death of several older brothers. He may have been a child when he became king and ruled with the assistance of his mother, AhmoseNefertari. Most scholars believe that he reigned for about 20 years, although others suggest 30. According to autobiographical inscriptions in the tombs of contemporary officials, Amenhotep I led campaigns into Nubia and Libya. He also began or completed a number of building projects, including a temple at Saï in Nubia and an exquisite barque chapel for Amun at Karnak made entirely of Egyptian alabaster.

Remembered as a great ruler, he was deified after his death alongside his mother. Both were venerated for centuries, with their cult especially prominent at Deir el-Medina, the village of the artisans who built the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Amenhotep I’s original tomb is mentioned in the Abbott Papyrus, but its location is still unknown. Some scholars believe that it is located in Dra Abu el-Naga, while others identify it with a small tomb in the Valley of the Kings. More recently, a Polish scholar has suggested that it still lies undiscovered at Deir el-Bahari, near the memorial temple of Hatshepsut