Relief Fragment of King Ahmose and Queen

On this fragment from a stela, King Ahmose is shown in sunk relief, wearing a simple, short wig and the royal uraeus-cobra. Originally, a queen—probably either his wife or mother—was depicted standing behind him. According to the inscription, the stela showed Ahmose presenting an offering to Amun, god of his family's house at Thebes. The royal family's devotion to Amun elevated the deity to national status and made Karnak, site of his main temple, one of the greatest religious structures ever built in Egypt.