Unknown Interesting facts Ancient Egypt Middle Kingdom

The Middle Kingdom is a period of time during the history of ancient Egypt. It lasted from 1975 BC to 1640 BC. The Middle Kingdom was the second peak period of the ancient Egyptian civilization, the other two being the Old Kingdom and the New Kingdom. During this time, all of Egypt was united under a single government and pharaoh. The Middle Kingdom period was ruled by the 11th, 12th, and 13th dynasties. Historians sometimes include the 14th dynasty as well. During the first intermediate period, Egypt was divided and in political chaos. The 10th dynasty ruled northern Egypt while the 11th dynasty ruled the south. Around 2000 BC, a powerful leader named Mentuotep II became king of southern Egypt. He launched an attack on the north and eventually reunited Egypt under one rule. This began the period of the Middle Kingdom. Under the rule of Mentuotep II, Thebes became the capital of Egypt. From that point forward, the city of Thebes would remain a major religious and political center throughout much of ancient Egyptian history. Mentuotep II built his tomb and mortuary complex near the city of Thebes. Later, many pharaohs of the New Kingdom would also be buried nearby at the Valley of the Kings. Mentuotep II ruled for 51 years. During that time, he re-established the pharaoh as the god-king of Egypt. He rebuilt the central government and expanded the borders of Egypt. The Middle Kingdom reached its peak under the rule of the 12th dynasty. The pharaohs of the time built a powerful standing army that protected the country from outside invaders and maintained control of the government. The greatest point of economic prosperity came during the reign of Pharaoh Minapet III, which lasted for 45 years. The arts of ancient Egypt continued to develop during this time. A type of sculpture called the block statue became popular. It would continue to be a mainstay of Egyptian art for 2,000 years. The block statue was sculpted from a single piece of rock. It showed a man squatting with his arms folded on top of his knees. Writing and literature developed as well. For the first time in ancient Egyptian history, writing was used for entertainment, including writing stories and recording religious philosophy. It was during the 13th dynasty that the pharaoh's control of Egypt began to weaken. Eventually, a group of kings in northern Egypt called the 14th dynasty split from southern Egypt. As the country fell into disarray, the Middle Kingdom collapsed, and the Second Intermediate Period began. The Second Intermediate Period is most famous for the rule of foreign invaders called the Hyksos. The Hyksos ruled northern Egypt from the capital city of Avaris until around 1550 BC. The pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom often appointed their sons as corrigents, which was kind of like a vice-pharaoh. The pharaoh Sinuset III was one of the most powerful leaders of the Middle Kingdom. He is sometimes called a warrior king because he personally led his troops into battle. The Middle Kingdom is sometimes referred to as Egypt's Classical Age or the Period of Reunification. During the 12th dynasty, a new capital city was built called Ictwai.