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Unlocking the Secrets: Top 8 Fascinating Fun Facts About Thutmose III, Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh

illustration of thutmose-iii
Get ready to embark on a thrilling journey through time as we uncover some astonishing fun facts about the legendary Egyptian pharaoh, Thutmose III!

1. Ancient Paintball Arena Champion

Who said size doesn't matter? Thutmose III sure didn't, as he put his mighty skills to the test and earned the title of Egypt's most successful pharaoh in the paintball arena of ancient warfare: During his 54-year reign, Thutmose III conducted an impressive 17 military campaigns, swooping from Syria to Upper Nubia, and conquering lands at a blistering pace, even being the first pharaoh since Thutmose I to cross the Euphrates and Orontes rivers. Talk about a legendary warlord with a flare for real estate!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Botanical Boss of Egypt

Who needs a green thumb when you've got a golden scepter? Thutmose III, Egypt's botanical boss and pharaoh extraordinaire, had a penchant for plant collecting that would make your granny's garden club green with envy: Alongside his military conquests in Palestine and Syria, he proudly brought back over fifty exotic plant species to Egypt, adorning the Festival Temple of Karnak with beautiful stone reliefs of his leafy loot and bonus birds and animals to boot!
Source => gardenhistoryresearchfoundation.com

3. Hatshepsut's Extreme Temple Makeover

Talk about an ancient episode of Extreme Makeover: Temple Edition! Hatshepsut really knew how to amp up the architectural ante during her reign: She constructed the Temple of Deir el-Bahri in western Thebes, which is now considered one of ancient Egypt's most awe-inspiring masterpieces.
Source => history.com

4. Acrobatic Tomb Raider Adventures

Like an ancient Egyptian mission impossible, tomb raiders braved dizzying heights and sheer cliff faces to pilfer the resting place of Thutmose III: Guarded by a 30-meter-high cliff in the Valley of the Kings, the tomb known as KV 34 was discovered in 1898 by Victor Loret, who found a stunning red quartzite sarcophagus among the remaining treasures undisturbed by acrobatic thieves.
Source => touregypt.net

Conqueror and Pat(r)on of Arts

5. Conqueror and Pat(r)on of Arts

Move over, Napoleon, there's a new conqueror in town: Thutmose III, who dominated the battlefield with 17 ridiculously successful military campaigns, stretched Egypt's waistline like never-before-seen spandex, and brought home enough loot to make even the Kardashians blush. But wait, there's more: when he wasn't conquering all, this pharaoh-turned-pat(r)-art-on flexed his creative muscles, making ancient Egypt a hub for arts, advances in glass-making, and dramatically realistic statues that would have made Michelangelo wish for an early retirement.
Source => worldhistory.org

6. Fancy Glassware Innovator

Thutmose III: party planner for the artsy crowd, dishing out drinking glasses fancier than a millennial's Instagram feed: This ancient Egyptian Pharaoh championed a shift from idealistic artwork to realistic styles, patronizing painters, sculptors, and glassmakers who crafted drinkware that would make your average stemware green with envy.
Source => study.com

7. Sibling Rivalry for the Throne

Who needs the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants when you can have the Sibling Rivalry of the Egyptian Throne? Thutmose III was all about that pharaoh life: As the only son of the king, he outshined his half-sister Neferure as the prime successor choice in the male-dominated ancient Egypt.
Source => study.com

8. Dr. Dolittle and King of Bling

Move over, King Midas – Thutmose III was the OG "King of Bling" with a side hustle as Dr. Dolittle in ancient Egypt: They may have called him the "Napoleon of Egypt" for his military conquests, but Thutmose III also amassed a glittering collection of gold, silver, and precious stones, as well as exotic animals like cheetahs and ostriches for his personal zoo during his reign.
Source => centralparknyc.org

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