The top part of a granodiorite statue of King Thutmose III.

The top part of a granodiorite statue of King Thutmose III, who reigned circa 1479-1425 BCE during the 18th Dynasty. As this part is preserved just above the elbows, it cannot be ascertained if the king was depicted standing, sitting, or perhaps kneeling in front of a deity. This sculpture (INV 70) is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna, Austria. Photo: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien.

Thutmose III created an Egyptian empire. Historians consider him not only a military genius but also a skilled strategist. Through at least 15 foreign campaigns in 20 years, he expanded Egypt's power to its greatest extent in the Near East (Syria-Palestine) and in Nubia.

He was also a great builder. He commissioned the construction of over 50 temples. But his greatest projects were at Karnak. Large parts of this temple complex are his work, including a number of obelisks as well as pylons on which he is depicted smiting Egypt's enemies. He also restored the monuments of his illustrious warrior predecessors, including Amenhotep I and Thutmose I.

"Little wonder that the cult of Thutmose III was honoured for another 1,500 years, until the end of the Ptolemaic Period; or that his name, inscribed on scarabs and amulets, was believed to provide magical protection. For he was, without doubt, the greatest of all soldier pharaohs." ― Wilkinson, Toby, Lives of the Ancient Egyptians, Thames & Hudson, New York, USA, 2013.