1362 – 1346 BCE: Amunhotep IV / Akhenaten (18th Dynasty, Part 7)

Akhenaten (Part 7): The Great Hymn to AtenBy 1356 BCE, Akhenaten was well-ensconced in his new royal residence of Akhet-Aten (Amarna). As regnal year 7 began, the King was probably…

The Story So Far...We've covered a lot since Amunhotep IV / Akhenaten appeared on the throne of Egypt. Today, we take a breather to sort it all out and summarise…

Amarna (Part 4): Raising a City in Haste.When Akhenaten demanded a new royal residence (Akhet-Aten), it fell to countless labourers, overseers and donkeys to gather the material needed for the…

Amarna (Part 3): Elite Houses.The Overseer of Works, Hatiay, was one of Akhenaten's most prominent and useful servants. He helped build pharaoh's new city, bringing the vision to life, by…

Amarna (Part 2): Akhenaten's Priorities and MindsetA short side episode, concerning Akhenaten's mind-set around the time he moved to Amarna. Did the King always plan this city? Did he want…

Amarna / Akhet-Aten.In regnal year 5, Akhenaten decreed the foundations of his new city devoted to the sun god. One year later, the King returned to perform ceremonies and to…

Akhenaten (Part 6): New Name, Who Dis?In regnal year 5, Amunhotep IV reached the conclusion of his early ideological development. His views had crystallized and he was ready to express…

Akhenaten (Part 5): Amarna Art, An Introduction.By the time of his Sed-Festival, Amunhotep IV's reforms had begun to gather serious momentum. The King was even introducing new forms of representation, reshaping…

Akhenaten (Part 4): Aten Above All.In 1360 BCE, regnal year 3, King Nefer-kheperu-Re Amunhotep IV made some of his most startling decisions yet. Promoting the sun disc, Aten, even further,…

Akhenaten (Part 3): Revelation of a Religion.Soon after he came to power, Amunhotep IV (later Akhenaten) began to reveal his unique vision of god and the world. A remarkable amount…