Contents
Akhenaten
Redirecting ancient Egyptian worship towards the sun-disc Aten.
Akhetaten · Aten temples
- Born
- Unknown
- Birthplace
- Egypt
- Died
- Unknown
More people
Akhenaten
Akhenaten ruled Egypt in the fourteenth century BCE and introduced religious and artistic changes associated with the Amarna period. He died around 1336 BCE.
Early life
Royal family
Was a son of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye.
Uncertain childhood
Little securely documented evidence survives about his upbringing or exact birth date.
Career
- c. 1353 BCE
Accession
Became pharaoh as Amenhotep IV; chronologies vary.
- Reign year 5
A new name
Adopted Akhenaten and founded a new royal city.
- Later reign
Religious restrictions
Suppressed the cult of Amun and elevated Aten worship.
Monuments & changes
Akhetaten
Built the capital now known as Amarna.
Aten temples
Commissioned open-air sanctuaries for solar worship.
Amarna imagery
Royal art adopted unusual forms and intimate family scenes.
Beyond the throne
Nefertiti
His principal queen appeared prominently beside him in royal imagery.
Reversal after death
Successors restored traditional worship and dismantled many of his monuments.
Sources & photo credit
Wikipedia biography and references ↗Further biography and career ↗Photo: See source. CC BY-SA 2.5 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
