# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ramses, Master of Diplomacy | Lost Treasures of Egypt

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The pharaoh that wouldn't be forgotten - Kate Green

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hatshepsut, like other pharaohs, was the child of a king. Unlike the others, she was a woman.

One of only a few female pharaohs in thousands of years of ancient Egyptian history, Hatshepsut didn't inherit her rulership like a man would have-only sons were allowed to succeed their fathers. She was born around 1504 B.C., and when her father, King Thutmose I, died without sons, Hatshepsut married her half-brother, Thutmose II, to help him become pharaoh.

When he died, his son-Hatshepsut's stepson-became pharaoh, even though he was just three years old. Hatshepsut ruled in his name, but he was still considered the only pharaoh. But when Thutmose III was about eight years old, she took the throne herself and officially became his coruler around 1473 B.C. Some historians think she made the move because other people wanted to steal the throne, and she knew if they were both pharaohs they would be too powerful to overthrow. Hatshepsut and Thutmose III would rule together as pharaohs for the next 22 years.

Considered one of Egypt's greatest pharaohs-man or woman-Hatshepsut brought great wealth and artistry to her land. She sponsored one of Egypt's most successful trading expeditions, bringing back gold, ebony, and incense from a place called Punt (probably modern-day Eritrea, a country in Africa). She secured her legacy by building structures that still stand today. She added two hundred-foot-tall obelisks at the great temple complex at Karnak. (One is still intact.) And she built the mortuary Temple of Deir el Bahri, a structure with several floors of columns in front, where she'd eventually be buried.

Hatshepsut was usually carved or drawn as a man, complete with muscles and a beard, as was the artistic tradition for pharaohs. But historians knew the truth: She always made sure the art included a reference to being a woman, such as "Daughter of Re" or "His Majesty, Herself." When she died in 1458 B.C., Egypt would not see as powerful a female ruler for another 1,400 years, when Cleopatra came to the throne.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hatshepsut, like other pharaohs, was the child of a king. Unlike the others, she was a woman. One of only a few female pharaohs in thousands of years of ancient Egyptian history, Hatshepsut didn't inherit her rulership like a man would have-only sons were allowed to succeed their fathers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ancient Egyptian Biography for Kids: Hatshepsut

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the biography of Hatshepsut of Ancient Egypt. A famous and powerful woman Egyptian pharaoh.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ramses II was an Egyptian pharaoh. He ruled ancient Egypt from 1279 to 1213 bce. His reign was the second longest in ancient Egyptian history.

Ramses II was also known as Ramses the Great. He was given this name because he was known as a great military leader. He also built many temples and buildings throughout ancient Egypt. Massive statues of him can be found all over Egypt.

Ramses' father was Seti I. Seti waged war to win back land that Egypt had lost over the years. Ramses would often accompany his father on these military operations. Ramses was given the rank of captain in the military when he was just 10 years old.

Ramses II led his forces into many battles. One famous battle was the Battle of Kadesh in 1275 bce. Kadesh was once a part of Egypt, but at the time it was held by the Hittites. (The Hittites were an ancient warrior people from what is now Turkey.) Ramses wanted to take Kadesh back from the Hittites. The Hittites tricked Ramses, and the Egyptians were greatly outnumbered on the battlefield. However, the Egyptian forces managed to keep the battlefield and not retreat.

Details of the Battle of Kadesh were carved into many of the temples that Ramses built. It is likely that Ramses exaggerated his success at the Battle of Kadesh. Over many years Ramses captured other Hittite towns, but he could not hold them. Eventually, peace was established between the Hittites and the Egyptians.

The reign of Ramses was very prosperous. This is known because Ramses II built many temples. He also built a city called Per Ramessu, or "House of Ramses." It was famous for its gardens, orchards, and pleasant waters.

The rule of Ramses II marked the last peak of Egypt's imperial power. Ancient Egypt began to decline after his death.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ramses II was an Egyptian pharaoh. He ruled ancient Egypt from 1279 to 1213 bce. His reign was the second longest in ancient Egyptian history. Ramses II was also known as...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ramesses II

Who was Ramesses II?

Ramesses II was a pharaoh of Egypt, who ruled from 1279-1213 BC.

He was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty, and is arguably the greatest pharaoh of all Egyptian history.

Ramesses II was born around 1303 BC. He was the son of the Pharaoh Seti I, who became pharaoh when Ramesses was just five years old.

At the time, Ramesses was second in the line of succession, because he had an older brother who was supposed to become the next pharaoh instead of him.

However, when his brother died, Ramesses became the next in line for the throne - and so, between the ages of 14 and 25, Ramesses was educated in all matters of ruling, religion, and governance by his father and his advisors.

Ramesses got married in his teenage years to his two main wives, Nefertari and Isetnofret. (At the time, it was common for pharaohs to marry multiple foreign princesses, to establish good trade links between nations.)

Although Isetnofret doesn't have much of a place in history, Nefertari would become a powerful stateswoman following Ramesses' ascension to the throne.

What was Ramesses II known for?

Ramesses II was known particularly for his fighting ability.

As the teenage Prince of Egypt, Ramesses fought alongside his father in military campaigns, rising to the position of general at the young age of 22; and during his reign as pharaoh, he continued to lead the Egyptian armies to victory against enemies which included the Hittites and Syrians.

However, aside from wartime success, Ramesses II is also known for the grand structures built during his reign.

Under his rule, many of the country's oldest temples were rebuilt, and some replaced with new buildings of his own.

He also oversaw the construction of the Ramesseum (a temple complex located near the city of Thebes), the Abu Simbel (another temple complex) and a city called Pi-Ramesses, which was one of the most powerful cities in the world during Ramesses' rule.

Many of Ramesses II's structures have gone down in history as shining examples of Egyptian architecture.

What was the Battle of Kadesh?

Ramesses' most famous battle, fought in 1274 BC, was the Battle of Kadesh. The Battle of Kadesh was fought between Ramesses II's army and the Hittites of Anatolia (a country now known as Turkey.)

This battle resulted from Ramesses' aggressive policy of expansion, which saw him invading Syria and its neighboring Asian countries.

As part of this conquest, the Egyptian and Hittite armies clashed for control of Kadesh, a city of great strategic importance to the Syrian invasion.

This battle has been labeled a 'draw' by many historians: though Ramesses II had fewer troops, his army won the battle, but afterward failed to conquer the city they'd come for.

Similarly, although the Hittites failed to win the day, they succeeded in protecting their city from Egyptian conquest. In 1258 BC, the Hittites and Egyptians signed the world's first-ever peace treaty, and a productive trading environment was established between their two nations.

The battle is also significant because it's one of the first in history for which we've found the written strategic plans.

This gives historians a great insight into how the Egyptians carried out their expeditions of warfare.

What was Ramesses II's legacy?

Ramesses' reign of 66 years came to an end when he died in 1213 BC at the age of 90.

He was buried in the Valley of the Kings alongside many of his ancestors, but today his mummy sleeps in the Cairo Museum.

Ramesses was rumored to have fathered over 200 children during his life, with a shocking number of wives and mistresses; but it was his thirteenth son Merneptah who ascended to the throne following his death, and continued his father's work.

Facts about Ramesses II:

Ramesses II was a pharaoh of Egypt, who ruled from 1279-1213 BC.

He was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty, and is arguably the greatest pharaoh of all Egyptian history.

He was the son of the Pharaoh Seti I, who became pharaoh when Ramesses was just five years old.

Even though Ramesses II wasn't his father's oldest son, he became next in line for the throne after the death of his brother. He began his royal education a little later than most because of this - between the ages of 14 and 25, Ramesses was educated in all matters of ruling, religion, and governance by his father and his advisors.

Ramesses got married in his teenage years to his two main wives, Nefertari and Isetnofret.

Ramesses II was known particularly for his fighting ability. As the teenage Prince of Egypt, Ramesses fought alongside his father during wartime, rising to the position of general at the young age of 22.

Aside from his military prowess, Ramesses II is also known for the grand structures built during his reign.

Ramesses' most famous battle, fought in 1274 BC, was the Battle of Kadesh.

The Battle of Kadesh was fought between Ramesses II's army and the Hittites of Anatolia, and has been labeled as a 'draw' by many historians.

Ramesses' reign of 66 years came to an end when he died in 1213 BC at the age of 90.

QUESTIONS:
How long was Ramesses II's reign?

At what age did Ramesses II become next in line for the throne?

What were Ramesses' two main wives called?

Nefertari and Isetnofret.

What was Ramesses' most famous battle called?

The Battle of Kadesh.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ramesses II Ancient Egypt - History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Who was Ramesses II? Ramesses II was a pharaoh of Egypt, who ruled from 1279-1213 BC. He was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty, and is arguably the greatest pharaoh of all Egyptian history. Ramesses II was born around 1303 BC. He was the son of the Pharaoh Seti I, who became pharaoh ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Akhenaten

Akhenaten, born around 1380 BC, was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the Eighteen Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Akhenaten was the second son to the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, but became first in the line of succession following his older brother's death.

He grew up in the royal palace and learned the art of ruling from his father until his death in the year 1353 BC.

During Akhenaten's reign, Egypt was at its peak - it was wealthy, powerful, and respected the world over for its contributions to science and architecture. When he took the throne, the country continued to experience great prosperity; but this isn't what he's most famous for. Akhenaten's reign is most famous for the changes it made to the Ancient Egyptian religion; namely, his effort to switch the people from polytheistic worship (the worship of many gods) to the worship of a single god, Aten.
How did Akhenaten try to change the Egyptian faith?
The first way Akhenaten showed his new faith was by changing his name. When he first took the throne, he was named Amenhotep like his father, but changed it to Akhenaten during his fifth year as pharaoh. This changing of his name represented his commitment to the new religion, and means "Living Spirit of Aten" when translated to English.

For thousands of years, the Egyptians worshipped a respected collective of gods: for example, Bast, Isis, Osiris, Horus, Thoth, and Anubis. To weaken the peoples' faith, Akhenaten built a great number of temples to Aten and closed many of the old ones, going as far as to remove the old gods' names from their inscriptions. Although many of the Egyptian people didn't like this, it didn't trigger revolt in the country - even when Akhenaten changed the location of the capital.
What was the city of Amarna?
Around 1346 BC, Akhenaten ordered that a new city be built to honor Aten. At the time, the city was simply named Akhenaten; but nowadays, archaeologists call it Amarna. Amarna became the capital of Egypt during Akhenaten's reign. He had a new royal palace built there, as well as the Great Temple of Aten. Following his death, it lost much of its significance; the capital city moved back to Thebes, and the royal palace and temple built there were abandoned entirely.
What else was Akhenaten known for?
Aside from his changes to the Egyptian religion, Akhenaten also ordered a transformation in Egyptian art. Before his reign, Egyptian art was characterized by its lack of realism; people were often drawn with their heads facing the wrong way, for example, in case they came alive and attacked their creators. Any "realistic" art was drawn to the image of the ideal, where everybody had perfect faces and bodies. During Akhenaten's rule, Egyptian artists began to depict people as they really were, a style which persisted after his death even when policies did not.

Akhenaten's fame was also boosted by that of his wife, Queen Nefertiti. Nefertiti ruled alongside Akhenaten as the second-in-command of Egypt and was renowned for her wisdom and good looks. She's often referred to in history as "the most beautiful woman in the world," and one of the oldest surviving Egyptian sculptures is a carving of her likeness.

Following his death, Akhenaten's reputation suffered immensely. Because he "defied the traditional ways" by worshipping a different god to the classical Egyptian deities, he was known as "the enemy" in the official records of the pharaohs that succeeded him. The enmity held towards him might be why his body was never discovered - some historians believe that it was destroyed shortly after its burial.
Facts about Akhenaten:

Akhenaten, born around 1380 BC, was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the Eighteen Dynasty of Ancient Egypt.

Akhenaten was the second son to the Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

He grew up in the royal palace, and learned the art of ruling from his father until his death in the year 1353 BC.

Akhenaten's reign is most famous for the changes it made to the Ancient Egyptian religion; namely, he tried to change the religion from polytheistic worship (the worship of many gods) to the worship of a single god, Aten.

When he first took the throne, he was named Amenhotep like his father, but changed it to Akhenaten during his fifth year as pharaoh. This changing of his name represented his commitment to the new religion, and means "Living Spirit of Aten" when translated to English.

To weaken the peoples' faith, Akhenaten built new temples to Aten and closed many of the old ones, going as far as to remove the old gods' names from their inscriptions

Around 1346 BC, Akhenaten ordered that a new city be built to honor Aten. At the time, it was simply named Akhenaten; but nowadays, archaeologists call it Amarna.

Amarna became the capital of Egypt during Akhenaten's reign. He had a new royal palace built there, as well as the Great Temple of Aten.

Akhenaten also ordered a transformation in Egyptian art, which saw a shift towards realism rather than abstract expression.

Akhenaten's fame was also boosted by that of his wife, Queen Nefertiti, who is often referred to as "the most beautiful woman in history."

Following his death, Akhenaten's reputation suffered immensely. He was known as "the enemy" in the official records of the pharaohs that succeeded him, and it's believed that his body might have been destroyed after its burial.

QUESTIONS:
When was Akhenaten born?

What was Akhenaten's name before his fifth year as pharaoh?

Amenhotep (like his father!)

What was the name of the god Akhenaten worshipped?

What was Queen Nefertiti often described as in historical documents?

The most beautiful woman in the world.

Why was Akhenaten despised after his death?

He defied the tradition of Egyptian worship.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Akhenaten, born around 1380 BC, was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the Eighteen Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Akhenaten was the second son to the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, but became first in the line of succession following his older brother's death. He grew up in the royal palace and learned the art of ruling from ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Akhenaten was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, who ruled for 17 years and died perhaps in 1336 BC or 1334 BC. He is noted for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism and introducing worship centered on the Aten (notably instead of Amun, the temples of which he destroyed, the name of whom he rubbed off and the priests of whom he left without resources), which is sometimes described as monolatristic, henotheistic, or even quasi- monotheistic. An early inscription likens the Aten to the sun as compared to stars, and later official language avoids calling the Aten a god, giving the solar deity a status above mere gods.

Akhenaten tried to shift his culture from Egypt's traditional religion, but the shifts were not widely accepted. After his death, his monuments were dismantled and hidden, his statues were destroyed, and his name excluded from the king lists. Traditional religious practice was gradually restored, and when some dozen years later rulers without clear rights of succession from the 18th Dynasty founded a new dynasty, they discredited Akhenaten and his immediate successors, referring to Akhenaten himself as "the enemy" or "that criminal" in archival records. The stele of Merneptah values Amun who is represented giving the cemetery of victory to him, and is written on the back of a stele of Akhenaten stolen from one of his temples in Karnak.

He was all but lost from history until the discovery during the 19th century of the site of Akhetaten, the city he built and designed for the worship of Aten, at Amarna. Early excavations at Amarna by Flinders Petrie sparked interest in the enigmatic pharaoh, and a mummy found in the tomb KV55, which was unearthed in 1907 in a dig led by Edward R. Ayrton, is likely that of Akhenaten. DNA analysis has determined that the man buried in KV55 is the father of King Tutankhamun, but its identification as Akhenaten has been questioned.

Modern interest in Akhenaten and his queen Nefertiti comes partly from his connection with Tutankhamun (even though Tutankhamun's mother was not Nefertiti, but a woman named by archaeologists The Younger Lady), partly from the unique style and high quality of the pictorial arts he patronized, and partly from ongoing interest in the religion he attempted to establish.

Images for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Akhenaten was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, who ruled for 17 years and died perhaps in 1336 BC or 1334 BC. He is noted for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism and introducing worship centered on the Aten (notably instead of Amun, the temples of which he destroyed, the name of whom he rubbed off and the priests of whom he left without resources), which is sometimes described as monolatristic, henotheistic, or even quasi- monotheistic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Live a Day in the Life of King Tut | National Geographic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Akhenaten - A Pharaoh Obsessed - Extra History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here at Nat Geo Kids, we know how much our readers love reading facts about Ancient Egypt. Check out the famous 'Boy King', in our five fab Tutankhamun facts..
Tutankhamun facts

1. King Tut was nicknamed the Boy King because he began his reign when he was only nine years old!

2. Tutankhamun died when he was only 18, and his body was mummified, which is how the ancient Egyptians preserved their dead.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Ancient Egypt primary resource, full of helpful Tutankhamun facts? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

3. His golden coffin was buried in a tomb in the Valley Of The Kings (pictured below), surrounded by 5,000 priceless treasures.

4. These treasures included a golden throne, crown and cobra, pottery and big chests like the one pictured here...

5. Along with a golden burial mask, King Tut's sandals were also found in the tomb. These had paintings of his enemies on the soles - so everywhere the king went, he trampled all over his foes!

Want to know more about the Ancient Egyptians and their pharaohs? Then check out this cool clip!

Pictures: Getty Images UK

What did you make to our Tutankhamun facts? Let us know by leaving a comment, below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tutankhamun facts! | National Geographic Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here at Nat Geo Kids, we love everything Ancient Egypt! Discover five top Tutankhamun facts, one Egypt's most famous Pharaohs, the 'Boy King'...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun or "King Tut" is probably the most well-known Egyptian pharaoh. One of the reasons is that his burial tomb is one of the few that was discovered with everything still in it.

It was common for tomb raiders to steal all of the treasures that were buried with the pharaohs and so very little has ever been found.

The tomb raiders didn't locate King Tut's tomb and we can use the contents of the tomb to learn about the culture and people of ancient Egypt.

When was Tutankhamun born?

King Tut lived from around 1341 to 1323 BC, and because he was only ten years old when he became a pharaoh, he was called the 'boy king'. King Tut's father was the pharaoh Akhenaten.

This pharaoh made complete changes to the religion of Egypt, getting rid of their idea of many gods and changing their worship to one god: Aten, the sun god.

He became unpopular with the people of Egypt and the priests of the many temples, especially when he destroyed the images of all of the other gods.

When he died, many people removed his image and name, hoping everyone would forget about him.

Who Was Tutankhamun?

King Tut's original name was Tutankhaten which means 'the living image of Aten".

After the death of his unpopular father, he changed his name to Tutankhamun which means 'the living image of Amun".

His father had paid so much attention to making changes that he had moved the center of government to another city and ignored all of the foreign policies.

King Tut relocated the city back to Thebes and rebuilt some of the temples for the gods.

His hope was to restore the popularity of the pharaoh and try to fix the damage that his father had done.

Tutankhamun Married

King Tut did get married but he and his wife did not have any children that survived.

Many people have tried to study King Tut's mummy to see the reason that he died, but no one has come up with anything definite.

King Tut died at the age of 19 and after he was buried there was very little information in the usual records for pharaohs.

His tomb was never touched and so the people that study history didn't even know that it existed.

Who Discovered Tutankhamun's Tomb

In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the burial tomb of King Tut.

This was the first tomb that had everything in it and was untouched.

Ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died they would enter an 'afterlife' where they would live in the same way that they did when they were alive.

In order to do that, they would need to take everything they needed with them.

The burial tombs of pharaohs were piled with all of their possessions: beds, chariots, games, artwork, walking sticks, weapons, and even food.Advertisement

Pharaohs had the most highly crafted items, many were made of gold, imported wood, inlaid gems, and ivory.

King Tut's Tomb

When Howard Carter discovered King Tut's tomb, he found a huge chamber with four rooms filled with everything King Tut would need in the afterlife.

The most prized item was a 'sarcophagus' which is usually the burial box for the mummy.

For King Tut, they placed the mummy in one sarcophagus and then that was in two additional ones.

The third or last one was made of gold and that is the famous 'gold' image that has become the symbol of King Tut that we know today.

What was found in King Tut's tomb

It took seventeen years to go through all of the things in the tomb and catalog (write down) each item.

One of the things that Carter noticed when he first looked into the tomb is that many of the things appeared to have been tossed into the tomb, rather than organized.

Another thing that was later noticed is that one of the sarcophagi may have belonged to someone else and they changed it for King Tut.

It has been thought that the reason for this is that King Tut died so suddenly and unexpectedly that they didn't have time to make a sarcophagus for him.

The treasures and artifacts from King Tut's tomb became so popular that the Egyptians allowed them to go on a world tour and be shown at museums in many cities.

Tutankhamun Facts for Kids

Tutankhamun was born a prince in Egypt's around 1341 BC.

Tutankhamun lived around 1341 to 1323 BC

His original name was Tutankhaten

His father was the pharaoh Akhenaten

His tomb is in the Valley of the Kings

British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the burial tomb in 1922

The objects in the [original] tomb were in four rooms.

5,000 items were found inside Tutankhamun tomb.

It took Carter eight years to remove and catalog everything

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tutankhamun Facts for Kids - History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tutankhamun or "King Tut" is probably the most well-known Egyptian pharaoh. One of the reasons is that his burial tomb is one of the few that was discovered with everything still in it. It was common for tomb raiders to steal all of the treasures that were buried with the pharaohs and so very little ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Workers dug Tutankhamen's tomb into a hillside in southern Egypt. The place is called the Valley of the Kings. (By Tutankhamen's time, Egyptians had stopped burying pharaohs in pyramids.)

Thousands of years ago, robbers broke into the tombs of other pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. They stole many treasures from the tombs. The robbers missed Tutankhamen's tomb because rubble from another tomb covered up the entrance.

In 1922 Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, found Tutankhamen's tomb and opened it. (An archaeologist is a scientist who studies things that people made in the past.) Carter found Tutankhamen's mummy, or preserved body, within a nest of three coffins. The inner coffin was solid gold. A gold mask with the face of the pharaoh covered the mummy's head. The tomb also contained furniture, statues, clothes, a chariot, weapons, staffs, and various other objects. The government of Egypt now owns these treasures.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Workers dug Tutankhamen's tomb into a hillside in southern Egypt. The place is called the Valley of the Kings. (By Tutankhamen's time, Egyptians had stopped burying pharaohs in pyramids.) Thousands of years ago, robbers broke into the tombs of other pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings.