The Pharaoh was the ruler of Egypt. As well as owning the land, his roles included creating laws, collecting taxes, defending Egypt against foreign invasion and building temples to honour the gods. He was believed to be partly human and partly the god Horus, protector of Egypt and the Egyptians.

Who was the first Pharaoh?

The first Pharaoh of all Egypt ruled around 3100 BC. Before this time, Egypt was divided into upper and lower states, each ruled by a separate king. Menes, Aha and Narmer have all been credited with the unification of Egypt and therefore given the title of first Pharaoh of the 1st Dynasty. However, there is evidence to suggest that these are all names for the same person.

The Palette of Narmer. (Click on the various features for more information)

The drawings above show the two sides a stone palette found in 1898. The one on the left shows Narmer wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. In the one on the right he is wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt. This, and some of the other images, would suggest that it was Narmer who unified Egypt. However, the Greek historian Herodotus had written that it was Menes.

Who was Tutankhamun?

Find out more about Tutankhamun. Visit our Tutankhamun page.