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Period · c. 2040–1780 BC
Middle Kingdom
- Dates
- c. 2040–1780 BC
- Dynasties
- late 11th and 12th Dynasties
- Capital
- Thebes, then Itjtawy (near el-Lisht)
- In the directory
- 19 entries
After reunification, literature, art and administration flourish. Later generations regarded the language of this period as ‘classical’ Egyptian.
Achievements and events
- c. 2040 BCMentuhotep II reunites the country and builds his mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari.
- c. 1950 BCAmenemhat I moves the royal residence to Itjtawy; the ‘Story of Sinuhe’ is composed under Senusret I.
- c. 1870 BCSenusret III secures the southern frontier with a chain of mighty fortresses in Nubia, such as those at Semna and Buhen.
- c. 1840 BCAmenemhat III has the Faiyum opened up through irrigation; the Greeks called his mortuary temple at Hawara the ‘Labyrinth’.
- c. 1795 BCSobekneferu reigns as the first female ruler of Egypt attested by contemporary evidence.
All rulers of the period
11th Dynasty
- Mentuhotep I
- Intef I2077–2065 BC
- Intef II2065–2016 BC
- Intef III2016–2008 BC
- Mentuhotep II2008–1957 BC
- Mentuhotep III1957–1945 BC
- Mentuhotep IV1945–1938 BC
- In(tef)
- Iyibkhentre
- Segerseni
12th Dynasty
- Amenemhat I1939/38–1909 BC
- Senusret I1919–1875/74 BC
- Amenemhat II1877/76–1843/42 BC
- Senusret II1844–1837/36 BC
- Senusret III1836–1818 BC
- Amenemhat III1818/17–1773/72 BC
- Amenemhat IV1773–1764/63 BC
- Sobekneferu1763–1759 BC
- Seankhibraearly 12th Dynasty