Rekhmire was an
ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
ian noble and official of the
18th Dynasty who served as "Governor of the Town" (
Thebes) and
Vizier
A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...
during the reigns of
Thutmosis III and
Amenhotep II, circa 1400 BCE. He was the nephew of Vizier
User, who took office at the time of the fifth year of Queen
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut ( ; BC) was the sixth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Egypt, ruling first as regent, then as queen regnant from until (Low Chronology) and the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II. She was Egypt's second c ...
’s reign. User's official titles included mayor of the city, vizier, and prince. Rekhmire is noted for constructing a lavishly decorated
tomb
A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called '' immurement'', alth ...
for himself in
Sheikh Abd el-Qurna
The necropolis of Sheikh Abd el-Qurna () is located on the West Bank at Thebes, Egypt, Thebes in Upper Egypt. It is part of the archaeological area of Deir el-Bahari, and named after the domed tomb of the local saint. This is the most frequently v ...
, part of the
Theban Necropolis
The Theban Necropolis () is a necropolis on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes, Egypt, Thebes (Luxor) in Upper Egypt. It was used for ritual burials for much of the Ancient Egypt, Pharaonic period, especially during the New Kingdom of Egyp ...
, containing lively, well preserved scenes of daily life during the
Egyptian New Kingdom. His tomb is also important as it contains a full copy of a text detailing the duties of the office of the vizier, known as the
Installation of the Vizier.
He was also
High Priest
The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious organisation.
Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many god ...
of
Annu or Heliopolis. The cause of his political and personal downfall remains unclear. It is suspected that he fell into disgrace and was deposed.
[Sigrid Hodel-Hoenes, ''Life and Death in Ancient Egypt: Scenes from Private Tombs in New Kingdom Thebes'', Cornell University Press 2000, p.140] His tomb was
Theban Tomb 100.
References
External links
The Tomb of Rekhmire
Viziers of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt
Ancient Egyptian priests
{{AncientEgypt-bio-stub