A Theban ruler of the 11th Dynasty, Mentuhotep II completed the long war against the kings of Herakleopolis and reunited Egypt around 2055 BCE. Changes to his titles over his reign trace the progress of that reunification.
His terraced mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari was unlike anything built before, and five centuries later it inspired the architects of Hatshepsut’s temple next door.
Key achievements
- Defeated the Herakleopolitan kings and reunited Egypt, founding the Middle Kingdom.
- Built an innovative terraced mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari in western Thebes.
- Later Egyptians honoured him alongside Menes and Ahmose as a founder of the nation.