The 30 Dynasties Of Kemet

The 30 Dynasties Of Kemet

The number of Dynasties in the Ancient Egyptian Nile Valley Civilization of Kemet numbered at least 30 Dynasties starting with the 1st Dynasty founded by Narmer Circa 3100 BC.

The Number Dynasties In Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt’s Dynasties which came to at least 30 in number were presided over by a long succession of Pharaohs who were considered Divine.

The first Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt’s 30 Dynasties was King Menes who established the first Dynasty in 3100 BC, and began the period in Egyptian history called the Old Kingdom.

Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt into a single Kingdom with its Capital at Memphis, and this Ancient story which records the first of Ancient Egypt’s 30 Dynasties can be found on the Narmer Palette.

It was during the reign of the Old Kingdom Dynasties that the Religious rites associated with the Pyramids at Saqqara and Giza were created, and these would continue throughout the remaining Dynasties of Egypt which would number at least 30.  

However, after about 100 Years, the Pharaohs grew weak and swathes of Egyptian territory fell under the Command of separate Tribal Kingdoms.

This period of turmoil is known as the first Intermediate Period, and it only ended with the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty under Pharaoh Mentuhotep I .

Pharaoh Mentuhotep I reunited Egypt once again, and established a new Capital at Thebes in what has become known as the Middle Kingdom.

However, the Middle Kingdom also declined during a period known as the Second Intermediate Period when Egypt was split in two once again until 1550 BC when the Pharaohs of the 17th and 16th dynasties reunited Egypt under the New Kingdom.

By 1070 BC however, the Pharaohs were once again losing control as Egypt became periodically fragmented during the Third Intermediate period. 

Indigenous Egyptian rule continued to decline with attacks from the East particularly from the Assyrians who weakened Egypt until it was finally conquered and reunited in 332 BC by the Greek under Alexander the Great who established his new capital at Alexandria.

Following Alexander’s death, Ptolemy one of Alexander’s Generals became the first of a Greek line of Pharaohs known as the Ptolemaic Dynasty which lasted for about  300 years until the reign of Cleopatra when Egypt was integrated into the Roman Empire after the Battle of Actium.

All in all, Egypt’s history can be divided into a number of Dynasties totalling at least 30 Dynasties that ruled Egypt.