By the New Kingdom period (the 18th to 20th Dynasties, 1550-1070 B.C.), Thebes had become the religious and political center of Egypt, home to the King of the Gods, Amun-Re. It was arguably the wealthiest city in the Mediterranean world, with an estimated population of 50,000 people. Amenhotep I was the first Pharaoh to build himself a rock-cut tomb, rather than a pyramid as a burial site, and placed it near Thebes.  All the remaining rulers of the New Kingdom period had their tombs cut into the rocks of the west bank at Thebes, specifically at a location now known as the Valley of the Kings. One of the main advantages of this new burial site was its remote and easily secured location. From Thutmose I in the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom period, all the kings, and occasionally high officials, were entombed in this secluded dry gully.