Ahmose I (also known as Amasis I) was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He reigned between approximately 1550 BC-1525 BC.
Ahmose was the son of king Tao II Seqenenre and brother of king Kamose, the last king of the Seventeenth dynasty . At the age of 10, Ahmose I (The Moon is Born) assumed the throne after the death of his father. Upon assuming the crown, he became known as Neb-pehty-re (The Lord of Strength is Re). His reign was dominated by the struggle against the Hyksos rulers of the Nile Delta, in which he was ultimately victorious but suffered the loss of his father and brother. He was also successful in reasserting Egyptian power in its formerly subject territories of Nubia and Palestine. This laid the foundations for the New Kingdom, under which Egyptian power reached its peak.
Ahmose I married Ahmose-Nefertari, who was also his sister, and they had several children including:
- Merytamun – eldest daughter of Ahmose-Nefertari (died young)
- Tair – daughter of Kasmut
- Satamun – 2nd daughter of Ahmose-Nefertari (died young)
- Saamen – eldest son of Ahmose-Nefertari (died as an infant)
- Aahotep – 3rd daughter of Ahmose-Nefertari (became Queen)
- Amenhotep I - 3rd son of Ahmose-Nefertari (King)
- Satkames – 4th daughter of Ahmose-Nefertari (died at age 30)
- Henttameh – daughter of Thenthapi
- Ahmose - daughter
He was succeeded by his son, who ruled as Amenhotep I.
The remains of his pyramid in Abydos were discovered in 1899, and identified as his in 1902. This pyramid and the related structures were resurveyed in 1993 by an expedition sponsored by the Pennsylvania -Yale-Institute of Fine Arts under the direction of Stephen Harvey .
See Amasis II for the 26th Dynasty pharaoh whose name sometimes appears as Ahmose II.
