Middle Kingdom
Mentuhotep III (Sankhkare)
11th Dynasty (all Egypt) · 2055-1985 BCE
Reign begins2004 BCE
Reign ends1992 BCE
Dynasty span2055-1985 BCE
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A return to prosperity
Following the bloody reunification achieved by his father, Mentuhotep III presided over a 12-year period of peace and economic prosperity. With internal stability secured, he focused on rebuilding Egypt's foreign trade networks.
Expeditions to Punt
He reopened the Wadi Hammamat, a crucial trade route connecting the Nile to the Red Sea. From there, he dispatched massive naval expeditions down the coast to the legendary Land of Punt. To protect these valuable trade arteries and mining operations from desert raiders, he constructed the first heavily fortified outposts in the eastern desert.