| Mentuhotep III | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Osiride statue of pharaoh Sankhkare Mentuhotep III, on display at theMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pharaoh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 2009–1997 BC[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Mentuhotep II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Mentuhotep IV | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Consorts | Imi (?) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Tem | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 1997 BC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Burial | TT281 (uncertain) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | 11th dynasty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sankhkare Mentuhotep III (alsoMontuhotep III)[5] of theEleventh Dynasty wasPharaoh ofEgypt during theMiddle Kingdom. He was assigned a reign of 12 years in theTurin Canon. Mentuhotep's reign is known for his expedition toPunt and architectural innovations.
Mentuhotep III succeeded his fatherMentuhotep II[6] to the throne. It is believed that, following his father's long 51 years of reign, Mentuhotep III was relatively old when he acceded to the throne and reigned for 12 years. Despite its short duration, Mentuhotep's reign is known for his expedition to Punt and architectural innovations.
Mentuhotep III's titulary is very similar to the third and final one of his father. Mentuhotep III is known to have had at least two praenomen: the well knownSankhkare and also
|
Mentuhotep III sent an expedition to theLand of Punt during the 8th year of his reign, something that had not been done since theOld Kingdom. An inscription in theWadi Hammamat describes the expedition as being 3000 men strong and under the command of the stewardHenenu. As they leftCoptos in direction of the Red Sea (port ofMersa Gawasis?), they dug 12 wells for future expeditions and cleared the region of rebels. They returned from Punt with incense, gum and perfumes, and quarried the Wadi Hammamat for stones.
.jpg)
Sankhkare Mentuhotep was responsible for several building projects in the 12 years of his reign. He extended thetemple of Monthu in Medamud, a monumental decorated doorway bearing his likeness and royal titles now resides in theLouvre.
Sankhkare Mentuhotep also had amudbrick temple erected atThoth Hill in Western Thebes. The temple was built on the site of an older archaic temple. It was dedicated to the god Montu-Ra. This temple may have been destroyed by an earthquake towards the end of the11th Dynasty.[7]
It was long presumed that his own tomb and mortuary temple was begun inDeir el-Bahari, but never completed.[7] This temple was located in a separate valley a short distance from his father's mortuary temple. A causeway would have led up to a temple platform. A burial chamber lined with limestone slabs was completed and sealed, but apparently it never contained a burial. The association of the monument with Sankhkare Mentuhotep was circumstantial, based on co-location with the tomb (TT280) of the High StewardMeketre, one of the chief officials of the reign. HoweverDorothea Arnold recently provided compelling evidence that the monument is the likely unfinished Theban tomb ofAmenemhat I, the funerary monument of Sankhkare Mentuhotep remains unknown.[8] However, the attribution of the monument to Amenemhat I is unproven as well. The owner of the unnamed royal burial place must remain open.[9]
Mentuhotep III was the son and successor ofMentuhotep II. One of the wives of Mentuhotep II,Tem, was given the titleMother of the Dual King and based on that title, she is almost certainly the mother of Mentuhotep III. Mentuhotep III's family is mostly a mystery. It is currently believed that he fathered his successorMentuhotep IV with one of his probable harem wives, Imi. This is, however, still debated among Egyptologists.[10] Mentuhotep IV's mother is known to have been Queen Imi. If he was the son of Mentuhotep III, Imi must have been the wife of Mentuhotep III.[11]
{{cite encyclopedia}}:|author= has generic name (help)
| Preceded by | Pharaoh of Egypt Eleventh Dynasty | Succeeded by |
