Who Was the Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt? Unveiling the Mystery of Egypt’s Rulers

The title Pharaoh designates the supreme ruler of ancient Egypt. The kings of Egypt are celebrated for their monumental achievements—the magnificent pyramids, towering temples, and elaborate royal tombs—which stand as immortal testaments to their power. Each pharaoh played a unique and decisive role in crafting Egypt’s grand, millennia-spanning history, with every dynasty producing leaders known for specific stories and reputations. Together, we will explore how these rulers rose to power and the significance of their titles.

The Pharaoh in the Ancient Egyptian Timeline

The Pharaoh was the most important person in the ancient Egyptian state, essentially functioning as the absolute monarch. He was responsible for legislating laws, commanding military campaigns, ordering the construction of temples, and even dictating cultural shifts, such as changes to the artistic and religious systems (comparable to a modern head of state or president).

Given Egypt’s history spanning thousands of years, countless rulers enjoyed wide fame. Here are three of the most pivotal Pharaohs who fundamentally reshaped the course of the ancient Egyptian timeline:

1. King Narmer: Widely credited as the founder of the First Dynasty and the legendary figure who first successfully united Upper and Lower Egypt.

2. King Mentuhotep II: The transformative ruler who founded the Middle Kingdom and restored stability by reunifying Egypt after the chaotic First Intermediate Period.

3. King Ahmose: The heroic founder of the New Kingdom and the 18th Dynasty, celebrated for successfully driving out the foreign Hyksos invaders.

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Influence of Ancient Egyptian Art on Modern Designs

Since the history of Egypt in art and architecture is known and famous for five thousand years, it is natural or self-evident that ancient Egyptian art has an influence on art in modern times. Whatever the Pharaoh’s style in art is, it is considered an artistic masterpiece, and even this is considered one of the “Pharaoh Facts” that every king has his own special taste in construction and designs.

1. Interior design:

• The use of Symbols can be found in today’s wallpapers
• The Egyptian columns are present to this day in theaters

2. Fashion:

• The usage of bright colors
• The flowing linen robes have influenced many styles of art today

3. Decorations:

• The hieroglyphs are an ancient way of fonts and  can be used in posters
• Egyptian symbols and gods/deities can be present In today’s tattoos as well

4. Media:

• Many films and series are based on an Egyptian legend, such as The Mummy, which confirms the importance of Egyptian history and the depth of its impact on people.

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List of pharaohs of Ancient Egypt

Throughout the “BC” era, Egypt enjoyed thirty dynasties, each one with its own distinctive characteristics and wonderful kings with their amazing deeds and various gods, myths, and battles. Although there is no 100% correct answer to the question “How many pharaohs were there?”, but we will give you a list of the most important kings in the history of ancient Egypt or… At least most of them

1. King Djoser from the old Kingdom:

• He built the first “ pyramid” which was the step pyramid

2. King Senefru from the Old Kingdom:

• He built the first “ true” pyramid

3. King Khufu & Khafre & Menkaure:

• The father, the son, and the grandson built the three famous Giza pyramids

4.  King Senusert III: 

• He was one of the most powerful kings to rule Egypt as he expanded the borders of Egypt and influence

5. King Thutmose III:

• He is considered Egypt’s greatest Military king

6. Queen Hatshepsut:

• She was an icon and her famous achievements are everywhere in Luxor

7. King Akhenaten:

• He changed the capital and the worship style which was not a pleasant idea for the priests

8.  King Ramesses II:

• The longest-reigning king of Egypt and was known for his amazing battles

These are some of the famous rulers of Egypt from different periods who helped shape Egypt’s great history and make it a great country over thousands of years, and each of them has a special mark in our ancient country.

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Predynastic kings

Before the unification of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt within the year 3100 BC by King Narmer, there was a pre-dynastic era in which some important rulers ruled, including:

• King Scorpion I: ruled from Upper Egypt 
• King Scorpion II: made a few attempts to unify Egypt
• King Iry-Hor: ruling from Upper Egypt
• King Sekhen: it’s said he is the one who came directly before King Narmer
• King Narmer: the one who united Egypt and began the unparalleled history

Fun fact:

• The word “pharaoh” came from the famous story of the pharaoh and Moses, but some sayings depict that was the actual name of the king and the ancient Egyptian kings were not called pharaohs.

How does one become a pharaoh?

In ancient Egypt, for a person to become the ruler of the country, there was more than one way to do so, such as:

1. Royal bloodline:

• The usual method is to be the eldest son of the ruling king or the male closest to him, even if there are no males. In some cases, such as Queen Hatshepsut, she was the one who ruled.

2. through marriage:

• You marry the princess, which makes you the next king

3. Military power:

• During some tense times, the army commanders made themselves king of the country

Famous pharaohs who ruled Egypt through each of these reasons:

1. King Merenptah the son of the King Ramesses II

2. King Ahmose I married a princess

3. King Ramesses I who seized the power

Is a pharaoh a king?

Yes, basically the Pharaoh is the king, but the title of Pharaoh was given to the kings who were the most important and most sacred to the Egyptians and who had greater depth in the hearts and minds of the Egyptians or who saved them from problems.

• For example, kings who were buried in large pyramids or luxurious tombs were called pharaohs, such as King Khufu or King Ramesses II.
• And the kings who had absolute military rule and did not share power with anyone, such as King Tuthmosis III
• Some kings had many titles, such as ruler of the two lands or son of god

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Who was the first and last pharaoh of Egypt?

Egypt has enjoyed a long and dazzling history of kings, queens, miraculous stories, and legends, but who started the story and who ended it?

The first pharaoh King Narmer: 3100 BC

• Founded the first dynasty
• United Egypt
• Established the first capital
• The last Pharaoh

Queen Cleopatra VII: the Ptolemaic era 

• The last ruling monarch from the Ptolemaic era and before the Roman invasion
• She was famous for her intelligence and high ambitions
• After her death, Egypt became a Roman state

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Who is the oldest pharaoh?

This is a question with two meanings. If you mean who is the oldest king in the history of Egypt?  The first king, for example 

• King Narmer:He is the first king to rule unified Egypt in 3100 BC in the First Dynasty

But if you mean who is the longest-reigning king, he is

•  King Ramesses II, ruled for 66 years due to his being crowned king as a child

Was pharaoh considered a god?

The pharaoh was the representative of God on earth, and people appreciated him so much that they reaped the love and blessing of the gods for them.

The king used to ask, for example, to build pyramids as tombs, and people considered them to belong to God as well, so they worked hard on them.

The kings called themselves the son of the god, the son of Ra, the lover of Ptah, and so on, in order to ensure the god’s blessing for him and his sacred image before the public.

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Conclusion

In the end, the rulers of Egypt or the Pharaohs each had their appearance, how did they convince people of their right to rule, and what was their role in building a family or unifying Egypt? Each of them has a different personality from what appears on the Egyptians now, with their diverse personalities and their love of history, where every person goes to his grandfather with the closest way of thinking to him from Thousands of years ago.

FAQ

Tomb of the First Pharaoh of Egypt

• The tomb of King Narmer is believed to be near the city of Abydos in Upper Egypt and contains two rooms and pottery in the name of the king.

What artifacts were found in the first pharaoh’s tomb?

• In the tomb of King Narmer, the Narmer palette was found, which tells the story of his unification of the country, and some pottery, royal seals, and stone projects were found.

Is there any series about ancient Egypt?

• Yes, there are many, many series like ” Secrets of Saqqara Tomb”, ” the story of Egypt” and “the curse of Tut’s Tomb”