Editing 26th century BC

{{Short description|One hundred years, from 2600 BC to 2501 BC}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2022}}
{{Centurybox|-26}}
The '''26th century BC''' was a [[century]] that lasted from the year 2600 BC to 2501
BC.

==Events==
===Crete===
* c. 2600–2400 BC: [[Minoan civilization|Early Minoan I]] period in [[Crete]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mellersh|first1=H. E. L.|title=The Destruction of Knossos: The Rise and Fall of Minoan Crete|date=1970|publisher=Barnes & Noble Inc|isbn=978-1566191944}}</ref>

===Egypt===
* c. 2551–2526 BC: Reign of [[Khufu]], second pharaoh of the [[Fourth Dynasty of Egypt|Fourth Dynasty]]. The height of the [[Old Kingdom of Egypt|Old Kingdom]] under the reigns of Khufu, [[Khafre]] and [[Menkaure]]. Khufu leads an expedition in [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] and has the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] built. During his reign, the solar cult of [[Ra]] prevails, as evidenced by the [[Khufu ship]]. His successor, [[Djedefre]], is the first pharaoh to refer to himself by the epithet "Son of Ra". The pharaoh's divine filiation asserts itself in the second part of the Fourth Dynasty: the [[Ancient Egyptian royal titulary|royal title]] is definitively fixed with the appearance of a [[Nomen (Ancient Egypt)|fifth royal name]] preceded by the title "Son of Ra".<ref name="Hawass">{{Cite book |first=Zahi |last=Hawass |title=La fantastique histoire des bâtisseurs de pyramides |publisher=Éditions du Rocher |year=2017 |isbn=9782268094588 |page=PT54}}</ref>
* c. 2520–2493 BC: Reign of Khafre. the [[Pyramid of Khafre]] is built, along with the [[Great Sphinx of Giza]], a [[monumental sculpture]] of a pharaoh (either Khafre or Khufu) with a lion's body.<ref name="Hawass"/>
* Reigns of [[Menkaure]] and [[Shepseskaf]]

===Mesopotamia===
* c. 2600–2334 BC: [[Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia)|Early Dynastic period III]]. Dominion of the [[First Dynasty of Ur]]. The [[Royal Cemetery at Ur]] is constructed.<ref>{{Cite book |first=Georges |last=Roux |title=La Mésopotamie. Essai d'histoire politique, économique et culturelle |date=25 July 2015 |publisher=Le Seuil |isbn=9782021291636 |page=PT115}}</ref>
* c. 2600 BC: Reign of [[Akalamdug]], king of Ur.<ref name="GRoux">{{Cite book |first=Georges |last=Roux |title=La Mésopotamie |publisher=Le Seuil |year=1995 |isbn=9782020086325 |page=550}}</ref>
* c. 2600–2500 BC: The [[Instructions of Shuruppak]], the earliest known literary texts, are created in [[Adab (city)|Adab]], [[Shuruppak]] and [[Abu Salabikh]].<ref>{{Cite book |first=Harriet |last=Crawford |author-link=Harriet Crawford |title=The Sumerian World |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |isbn=9781136219122 |page=298}}</ref>
* 2570 BC: Reigns of Uhub, king of [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]], and of [[En-hegal]], king of [[Lagash]].<ref name="GRoux"/>
* 2560–2525 BC: Reign of [[Mesannepada]], king of Ur. The city, which had only 4,000 citizens at the time, would become a large capital during the 40 years of Mesannepada's reign. Its opulence was brought about by its commercial activity: Ur's southern river port concentrated Mesopotamian trade with clients along the [[Persian Gulf]] shores.<ref name="GRoux"/>
* 2550 BC: Reign of [[Mesilim]], king of Kish. He was an apparent [[Suzerainty|suzerain]] over the Lagash king Luga-shag-engur and the Adab king [[Nin-kisalsi]]. A conflict between Lagash and the neighboring Umma begins over fields claimed by each of the parties. An initial crisis is settled by Mesilim in favor of Lagash.<ref name="GRoux"/>
* 2540 BC: Mesannepada, who has already dominated the city of [[Nippur]], takes advantage of an eclipse of power in Kish (caused by an incursion by the [[Elam]]ites of [[Awan (ancient city)|Awan]]) to seize the city. He becomes the ruler of all of Lower Mesopotamia as he becomes the king of Kish, and his name appears on a pearl in [[Mari, Syria|Mari]].<ref name="GRoux"/>
* 2525–2485 BC: Reign of [[A'annepada]], king of Ur.<ref name="GRoux"/>

==References==
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{{Decades and years}}
{{Centuries}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:26th Century Bc}}
[[Category:26th century BC| ]]
[[Category:3rd millennium BC|-4]]
[[Category:Centuries|-74]]