When it came to ancient Egypt, the pharaohs held sway. People looked up to them as political leaders and deities. Pharaohs took their places atop Egypt’s monarchical hierarchy through a direct line of male heirs, with each successive monarch succeeding the one before him in the line of succession.
The Egyptian civilization is considered to be among the best of all time since it has been controlled by so many pharaohs.
Pharaohs had excellent physical condition because of their lavish lifestyle and diet. Curious which of these kings were really tall? Stay tuned to this piece for more information.
1. Xerxes I
The fifth king of the Persian Achaemenid dynasty, Xerxes I was better known as Xerxes the Great. His rule, from 486 BC to 465 BC, followed that of his father, Darius the Great.
He is remembered for his failed invasion of Greece at the Thermopylae Gate. Later that year, he was defeated at the Battle of Salamis and forced to abandon his throne.Â
While he was in power, Egypt was a province of the Persian Empire, so he is remembered both as a pharaoh and a Persian king. Xerxes, who stood at a height of approximately 8 feet, earns a spot on the list of the tallest pharaohs.
2. Ramesses II
One of the finest pharaohs of the New Kingdom of Egypt, Ramesses II ruled over the 19th dynasty as the third pharaoh of that dynasty. His name means “Great Ancestor” in Egyptian. The kingdom profited much from Ramesses’ supposedly successful military career.
He conducted multiple military campaigns, defeating foes including the Hittites, Syrians, and Nubians. No other pharaoh is said to have been able to match his achievements in building. He erected several landmarks in Egypt that are today considered important cultural landmarks.
Rameses makes it into this list of tallest pharaohs due to his impressive height of 6 feet.
3. Sa-Nakht
By User:Captmondo (Own work (photo)), CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Pharaoh Sanakht ruled Egypt during the Third Dynasty, which occurred during the Old Kingdom. According to the findings of a recent study that examined the supposed bones of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Sanakht, he may have been the first giant that was ever recorded in history.
During his life, it is believed that he stood at a height of 1.75 meters, which is equivalent to 5 feet and 9 inches.
As the stepson of the former pharaoh Hatshepsut, Thutmose was the rightful successor to the throne of Egypt and the 18th dynasty.
Because he was just two years old when his father died, his stepmother Hatshepsut became queen instead of him. As co-regent, he eventually became king. Although he only lived to be 56 years old and ruled Egypt for 54 years, the legacy he left behind is still revered today.Â
Thutmose, sometimes called the “Napoleon of Egypt,” was a very successful leader. Under his rule, the Egyptian Empire grew significantly. Thutmose stood at an impressive 5 feet, 3 inches tall.
5. TutankhamunÂ
King Tutankhamun is often regarded as the most famous pharaoh of all time. He might have been as young as nine or 10 years old when he ascended to the throne, however his reign lasted barely 1332 BC to 1323 BC.
Despite the fact that he brought about significant theological reform, the young king is not renowned for his tremendous achievements as a ruler. The discovery of his almost fully preserved tomb increased his reputation even further.
Tutankhamun is also one of the tallest Egyptian Kings to have ever lived. With a height of 5 feet and 5 inches, he towers over many (1.67m).
6. AkhenatenÂ
Akhenaten was the pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt. He was also known by the name Amenhotep IV. His rule, which lasted from 1353 BC to 1336 BC, was not well received by his subjects because of controversial reforms.
The Egyptians had been accustomed to worshiping a huge variety of deities, but Akhenaten wanted to shift this religious practice to monotheistic, or the worship of just one deity. This god was Aten, a sort of sun deity linked to the god Ra.
After Akhenaten’s death, the populace and subsequent pharaohs were so dissatisfied with the new religion that they tore down his statues and went back to their old ways of worshipping. Nevertheless, he enters the list of tallest pharaohs with a height of 5 feet, 6 inches.
7. Amenhotep IIIÂ
During Amenhotep’s reign, Egypt had a golden age of art and wealth. His reign, from 1391 BC until 1353 BC, made him the ninth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. He had a huge influence on the economy of Egypt which grew during his rule owing to the good trade contacts at this time.
Many of the monuments, sculptures, and stone scarabs he erected are still standing today, demonstrating his significant impact on the artistic world. During excavations, several scarabs were discovered with engraved writings describing various historical events.
He is recognized as the pharaoh with the biggest number of his own sculptures. Amenhotep makes this list of tallest pharaohs with a height of 5 feet 3 inches.
8. Djoser
By Jon Bodsworth
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Djoser, a pharaoh from the ninth dynasty, established the Old Kingdom. Between 2630 to 2611 B.C., he was king of Egypt, and it was during his reign that the limestone Step Pyramid at Saqqara was built.
This landmark represents a high point in technical achievement. The massive limestone stones were stacked in the mastaba style to form the pyramid that was built to house and guard Pharaoh Djoser’s tomb.
Djoser makes the list of tallest Egyptian pharaohs with a height of 5 feet 7 inches.
The dimension of stuff has been an interest of mine ever since I was a child. What I believe is most fascinating about the dimension of stuff is how extremely long, tall and wide some objects are both on earth and in the universe.