A Tour of Egypt 31horse and chariot, which subsequently became a formidable
weapon for Egyptian warriors.
The Hyksos were eventually forced out of Egypt around
1550 BC, which commences the period termed the New
Kingdom. The New Kingdom lasted some 500 years during
which time Egyptian dominance reigned throughout the
region. In popular terms, the New Kingdom is synonymous
with the Egypt described in the Old Testament. New Kingdom
pharaohs abandoned pyramid-building in favour of massive
tombs carved into the sandstone cliffs of the Nile’s west
bank. It is also during this period that the great temples of
Thebes were built— Luxor, Karnak, Deir el-Bahari, Medinet
Habu and the Ramesseum.
Until the invasion of the
Hyksos, Egypt had been spared
large-scale foreign invasion.
After that time, Egypt became
part of the overwhelming wave
of aggressors throughout the
Middle East. Under Tuthmosis I
(1504–1492 BC), Egypt became
an imperial power, pushing
her borders far into Nubia in
the south and to the Euphrates
in the north-east. By the time
of Ramses II (1300–1233 BC),
Egypt’s monarchs extended
their power over much of the
Middle East.
By the beginning of the Third Intermediate Period
(ca 1070–712 BC), Egypt no longer dominated the
Mediterranean but instead retreated to her natural geographic
boundaries. During this period, technological advances in
the aggressive civilisations throughout Mesopotamia did not
spread to Egypt. Consequently, Egypt was unable to wage
war successfully against these powers. Once again, relative
anarchy ensued, providing the milieu for Libyan mercenaries,
who assimilated into Egyptian society during the New
Kingdom, to assume powerful positions. Prior to the Third
Power Points
Except for the Roman Empire
(governed from outside the
Middle East), major empires of
the region centred successively
from four focal points:
Mesopotamia (current-day Iraq),
Asia Minor (Turkey), the Nile
Valley (Egypt) and Persia (Iran).
Each of these areas served as a
power focus two or three times
over the ages. Interestingly,
at one time or another each
major power locus has controlled
much or most of the rest of the
region, thus providing many
of the historical cultural links
seen today.