Amenhotep son of Hapu was an ancient Egyptian architect a priest a scribe and a public official who held a number of offices under Amenhotep III of the 18th Dynasty

Life

He is said to have been born at the end of Thutmose III's reign in the town of Athribis (modern Banha in the north of Cairo) His father was Hapu and his mother Itu Though little about Amenhotep's early life is known prior to his entering civil service it is believed that he learnt to read and write at the local library and scriptorium He was a priest and a Scribe of Recruits (organizing the labour and supplying the manpower for the Pharaoh's projects both civilian and military) He was also an architect and supervised several building projects among them Amenhotep III's mortuary temple at western Thebes of which only two statues remain nowadays known as the Colossi of Memnon and the creation of the quarry of El-Gabal el-Ahmar nearby Heliopolis from which the blocks used to create the Colossi were probably taken Other plans such as the portico of the Temple of Karnak completed under Ramesses II and those for the Luxor Temple are also attributed to Amenhotep He may also have been the architect of the Temple of Soleb in Nubia Amenhotep is noted to have participated in Amenhotep III's first Sed festival in the 30th year of the king's rule After this he is believed to have retired from civil service and become the steward of Princess Sitamun's properties (similar to an asset manager today) and received honours such as the designation of Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King among other things According to some reliefs in the tomb of Ramose he may have died in the 31st year of Amenhotep III which would correspond to either 1360 BC or 1357 BC depending on the chronology used His death has also been dated to the 35th year of the king