Psamtik II

Long ago, a king ruled Egypt.

His name was Psamtik II. He was the son of a king named Necho II.

He led his army to fight in a land called Kush. This fight made the people in Kush less strong.

He also built many grand things. He made tall stone pillars called obelisks. One of these is now in Rome.

He built a large temple in a dry place. This temple is called Hibis. It is still standing today.

Psamtik II was a very busy king. He ruled for six years.

Psamtik II was a king of Egypt. He belonged to the Twenty-sixth Dynasty. He was the son of King Necho II.

Psamtik II was a warrior king. In 592 BC, he led his army into Nubia. He fought the kingdom of Kush. His army won many battles. They even reached the capital city of Napata.

This war changed things for the Kushite people. They lost much of their power. Because of this, they moved their capital south to Meroë. Psamtik II also led an expedition into Palestine in 591 BC. He wanted to start a revolt against the Babylonians.

He was also a great builder. He made tall stone pillars called obelisks. One of his obelisks is now in Rome.

He also started the Temple of Hibis. This temple is in the Kharga Oasis. It has many columns that look like papyrus plants.

Psamtik II ruled for six years. When he died in 589 BC, his son Apries became king.

Psamtik II was a king of ancient Egypt. He belonged to the Twenty-sixth Dynasty. His family ruled during a time called the Saite period. He was the son of King Necho II. His royal name was Nefer-Ib-Re. This name means "Beautiful is the Heart of Re." He ruled for six years until he died in 589 BC.

Psamtik II was a very active leader. In 592 BC, he led his army south into Nubia. This was his first fight with the kingdom of Kush in a long time. His soldiers marched far down the Nile River. They reached the Third or even the Fourth Cataract. They fought fierce battles to reach the city of Napata. The Egyptian army won these battles. They even took items from the temples there.

This war changed the history of the region. The kingdom of Kush became much weaker. Because they lost power, the Kushite rulers moved their capital. They moved from Napata to a place called Meroë for safety. Psamtik II also led a trip into Palestine in 591 BC. He wanted to help people there revolt against the Babylonians. This included a leader named Zedekiah from the Kingdom of Judah.

Psamtik II was also a great builder. He built many things during his short reign. He helped build a temple at El-Mahalla El-Kubra. He also made two very tall obelisks in Heliopolis. These stone pillars were over 21.79 metres high. One of these obelisks is now in Rome. It is called the Obelisk of Montecitorio. It was brought to Rome by the first Roman Emperor, Augustus.

One of his most famous works is the Temple of Hibis. He started this temple in the Kharga Oasis. It was built near an ancient lake. The temple has many columns that look like papyrus plants. It is one of the best-preserved temples from this time. Later, people used parts of it to build a factory. Today, it is a very important place for historians. It helps us understand how people built temples long ago.

Psamtik II was a pharaoh of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt. This period is often called the Saite period. He ruled for a short time from 595 BC to 589 BC. His royal name, or prenomen, was Nefer-Ib-Re. This name translates to "Beautiful [is the] Heart [of] Re." Psamtik II was the son of King Necho II. He was a dynamic leader who focused on military action and building projects.

In 592 BC, Psamtik II led a major military campaign into Nubia. This was the first major confrontation between Egypt and Nubia since the reign of Tantamani. The Egyptian army marched south along the Nile River. They reached as far as the Third or Fourth Cataract. A stela, or carved stone slab, from Karnak records these events. The campaign targeted the kingdom of Kush. The Egyptian forces fought fierce battles to reach the capital city of Napata. During these battles, they looted temples and destroyed royal Kushite statues.

The war had a lasting impact on the Kushite people. The Kushite king at the time was Aspelta. He was the younger brother of Anlamani and the son of Senkamanisken. The Egyptian victory weakened the power of Kush. This prevented the Kushites from regaining control of Egypt as they had intended. As a result, the Nubian rulers moved their capital south to Meroë for safety. Psamtik II also engaged in political movements elsewhere. In 591 BC, he launched an expedition into Palestine. He aimed to encourage a revolt against the Babylonians. This effort involved Zedekiah, the leader of the Kingdom of Judah.

Psamtik II was also a prolific builder of monuments. He and his son, Apries, likely built a Saite temple at El-Mahalla El-Kubra. This village is located in the Lower Nile Delta. Many ancient building elements were later reused in modern structures there. For example, a mosque in the village contains more than 120 granite columns. Archaeologists also found a 1.8 metre long fragment of red granite with his name on it. In Heliopolis, he erected a pair of massive obelisks. These stone pillars stood more than 21.79 metres high.

One of these obelisks has a famous history involving Rome. It is known today as the Obelisk of Montecitorio. The first Roman Emperor, Augustus, brought it to Rome in 10 BC. Before this, the obelisk had likely been knocked down by Persian invaders in 525 BC. Psamtik II also constructed a kiosk on the island of Philae. This kiosk is the oldest known monument on that island. It featured a double row of four columns connected by screen walls. These structures show the architectural styles used during his reign.

One of his most significant architectural achievements is the Temple of Hibis. He founded this temple-house in the Kharga Oasis. The temple was built near an ancient lake that has since disappeared. The structure includes a hypostyle hall with papyrus capital columns. It also contains a hall of offerings and three sanctuaries. A chapel was built at the side for the cult of Psamtik II. The temple's decorations were later completed under the Persian kings Darius I and Darius II.

The Temple of Hibis is a vital source for historians today. It is considered the best-preserved and best-documented temple from the early Egyptian Late Period. In 1832, the roof and parts of the temple were removed to build an aluminium factory. However, work by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Egyptian Antiquities Service helped save it. The temple remains a primary monument for studying Egyptian temple building. It connects the architectural traditions of the Saite period to later eras.

After Psamtik II died in 589 BC, his son Apries became king. Apries was the son of Psamtik II and Queen Takhut. Takhut was a Princess of Athribis. The royal family was quite influential in Egyptian society. Psamtik II and Takhut were also the parents of Menekhubaste and Ankhnesneferibre. Ankhnesneferibre held the powerful office of God's Wife of Amun. She served in this role until the Persians conquered Egypt in 525 BC. These connections show how deeply his family was woven into the religious and political life of the time.