Ruler
Amenemhat III
King of the Twelfth Dynasty
c. 1831 – 1786 BCE
Approximate regnal dates after Shaw (2000); other authorities differ by a few decades.
Biography
He reigned for a long time and took great interest in the Fayum. He built two pyramids, at Dahshur and at Hawara; the huge temple beside the Hawara pyramid is thought to be the "Labyrinth" described by Herodotus.
Key facts
Certainty: Probable
The "Labyrinth" described by Herodotus is usually identified with Amenemhat III’s mortuary temple at Hawara, of which little survives.
- Mark Lehner (1997) “The Complete Pyramids” Thames & Hudson, London
- Herodotus “Histories, Book II (5th century BCE)”, II.148