Crowned as a child and overshadowed for two decades by his stepmother Hatshepsut, Thutmose III went on to become Egypt’s greatest military king. His victory at Megiddo opened Syria-Palestine to Egyptian control.
At Karnak he built the Akh-menu, a great festival hall, and carved his Annals — a campaign record drawn from the daily army journals. His tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV34) contains the earliest complete version of the Amduat.
Key achievements
- Won the Battle of Megiddo, the first battle recorded in detail, around 1457 BCE.
- Led some seventeen campaigns in the Levant, creating Egypt's largest empire.
- Recorded his campaigns in the Annals carved at Karnak and built the Akh-menu festival hall there.
