What do you know about akhetaten?


Amarna or el-Amarna is, the city of Akhetaten (Horizon of Aten) today. it was created by the Egyptian king Akhenaten a heretic by his revolutionary religion that worshiped Aton during the Amarna period.


 akhetaten is
the ancient capital of Akhenaten is about 365 kilometers south of Cairo, in a natural amphitheater among the inhospitable rocks. This narrow opening about twelve miles along the Nile there and has a depth of half a round of about five kilometers.

This is ,akhetaten, the place where, in about the fifth year of the reign of the king, we are told that the construction of divine inspiration, the capital of Akhenaten.
The story of the discovery

History and name of Amarna and akhetaten?

 The site was nothing more than his name, which is a village called Et Til el-Amarna was European travelers. The first visitors misunderstood your name, what came to be known as Tell el-Amarna, but we are saying that marks the former site of one, or large mound.
Although John Gardner Wilkinson first investigated the site in 1824, and soon came to James Burton, to further examine the tombs of el-Amarna ,akhetaten, at this time, had no idea of ​​its meaning. It was only during this period generally, Champollion made his first discoveries in Egyptian writing, so they were not able to read the names and inscriptions found in this issue, the first two explorers. In fact, they identified the site as a novel Alabastronopolis a nearby quarry of alabaster akhetaten.

what do you know about boundary stelas of akhetaten?

A drawing of one of Robert Hay Boundary Stela
Later, Robert Hay, the site not only has reviewed the test, all open graves, but in compensation from the large piles of sand background. But as has been the work of Wilkinson and Burton before him, has never been released. Others may also be el-Amarna akhetaten, and would also fallen, who publish their work, even though most of their efforts are in various museums.


However, due to the unique decor in the tombs of akhetaten, many who repeat the activities of the royal family in the formal attitude of worship, often in other tombs, but in the intimate and vivid details of people in your occupied home everyday business for other scholars to visit the site. There was also a prevailing mystery. In fact, because of the representations that we know, understand, Akhenaten and Nefertiti ask, ask these early explorers, if that. It is the home of two queens, because of the almost feminine body of the king

what the nature of akhetaten?

Although the ability to read hieroglyphs scattered the first Egyptologists discover the nature of this site has been elusive. So did the ancient Egyptians who helped then by the early Christians, this place, it was not easy, an intact cartridge, which destroys the name of the king or queen of which it was built. Even if they found cartridges, were larger than those of other pharaohs, and surrounded by a double border.

 In addition, Akhetaten these characters were complex and difficult to interpret, but were apparently the same as those that accompany a representation of the sun god, Ra-Harachte monuments found in many other places.


It was finally Richard Lepsius; a disciple of Champollion and certainly the most important Egyptologists of his time, the akhetaten was a note of inscriptions and expresses paper pads and then publish their work. This work allows scientists to finally advance their understanding of the city and its king, which he first read as Khuenaten . Now, more than a century of study has given us this name true king, Akhenaten, and reveals many secrets surrounding the place.

The General area of akhetaten

what was within akhetaten?

 The hotel is located on the eastern side of the Nile, Amarna, like the rest of the capital of ancient Egypt, the temples, government, utility structures, such as grain silos and bakeries, palaces and villages of adobe houses, several cemeteries, but became a series of zoos, gardens and other public buildings. In fact, the scope of akhetaten is incredible when you consider it was founded in 1350 BC and abandoned about twenty years later. City population was estimated in the range of 20 to 50,000 inhabitants.
The area of ​​the akhetaten and its surroundings has been home to copies of decrees over fourteen tablets cliffs on both sides of the river carved nested fixed. Therefore, we know that these stone slabs by Egyptologists as border trail. These include not only akhetaten but also in the fields and villages of the West Bank. The most impressive of these today Stela U, which measures about 7.6 meters from top to bottom and almost the entire height of the cliff in a small bay north of the entrance to the Royal Wadi occupies. Based on this pillar on each side are the remains of a group of carved statues of the royal family in akhetaten.

why the king selected akhetaten to be his place?

 These trails give you a live report on the selection of the king and the commitment to place their capital, according to the instructions of his father when he fired the Aten a specific location in the desert at sunrise. Much of the western part of the area, including housing, ports and the main palace of the king, was hidden beneath the modern extension. However, there are a large number of structures that have been obtained in the desert to the east, and in general most schemes you see foundations.


 akhetaten is divided into the suburbs with the picture called "center" of the Royal Palace and the Great Temple (The Per-Aten), and several archaeologists have called the building official (police, taxes, ...). And 'here, in a building of this type, the "Office" which the Amarna letters were found by a farmer. This area of ​​the akhetaten was excavated in 1930. The other areas are composed of north of the city or the suburbs, the main city in the south and people living employee.
 The central city was apparently carefully planned, while other residential areas where no. In these areas, the spaces between the first great houses were gradually filled with small groups of houses.

The Central City of akhetaten
Perspective of the central city has an old It was From north to the central city, which led to an identical path to the modern road from today and "the central city of the scenes in the tombs of the fair North, although the design of this part of the territory now takes time and patience to keep going caries.in a generation of Akhenaten's reign, most of the building material has been removed so that the mud brick, which is now largely disappeared.


The history of the building of akhetaten can be determined quite well here. The Chapel in the Great Temple and the Royal House was built first, followed closely by year between six and nine in the temenos wall of the Great Temple and its sanctuary, instead of the chapel before.The akhetaten was started but never finished.


Main Street is the king of the road, which is a modern name. Coming from the south and crosses the ancient city of South of akhetaten Moving to Central City in the official palace and the royal house, where crossed by a bridge, and extended to a square in front of the entrance facade of the great temple. In the East-West Road, the continuation of the high priest of the road and beyond the South City Records Office and stop ski magazines in the temple.
Design of the central city of akhetaten

the divisions of akhetaten

akhetaten was divided by two east-west roads that hit the road west. The southern sections of the king's house, and the small temple and then log houses and writing and reached the southern army headquarters. The second route passes north of the real estate on the south side of the magazine. The whole neighborhood was abandoned the reign of Tutankhamen in the third year.

The Temple at akhetaten

Here we find the Great Temple of Aten and the Small Aten Temple. akhetaten Temple is significantly different compared to most of the temples of worship in ancient Egypt. There were, of course, solar Temple, essential elements, it consists of a small obelisk on a high pedestal and an altar. Although the solar temple was built during the Old Kingdom, the cult of Aten was not necessary to place the equipment and architectural elements in these older plants, with the exception of the altar. There was no need for Naos, because it will be protected no deity.
 However, some temples are essential. 

These attributes include a generally rectangular plant tremens surrounded wall, which is symmetrical about a longitudinal axis and west facing alignment. There are also the faces of lattices as input along with input offset inside to hide from the eyes of the profane places. There should also be in a battlefield, the altar and the trees that flank the input focus. Most of these characteristic features of Egyptian temples missing in ancient times, it is not easy even in akhetaten.

The most basic element of a temple of Aton is the altar where a ramp or staircase rises from the west in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by a wall of Temenos. The platform altar can sometimes surrounded by a wall and in front of a porch. Some might even four ramps at the cardinal points standing in line. The altar was usually surrounded by rows of tables. The court, which houses the altar may be preceded by another court or more.
A look at the new Sanctuary of the Great Temple of Aten

The great temple of Aten in akhetaten


where the Great Temple of the Aten of akhetaten?

The Great Temple of the Aten is located at the northern end of the central city. And 'Up and partly covered by the modern cemetery. The housing wall of this temple, the back of the modern road for about 750 meters, and is represented by a hill in. In the Sanctuary was very similar to the temple of Aton and it features a group of isolated pile of debris near the back.

in There is a long, low hill to the south of the temple from east to west with visible pieces of pottery. This ceramic mold is actually broken bread, and the line indicates the position of the central bakeries.

The Bridge at akhetaten

 At the end of this range is the solid foundation of a bridge in front of the house of King Street through the so-called King of the brick pillars. There are still some old beams which, when linked to the masonry together. On the opposite side of the street was the Grand Palace, a complex of courts and halls, of which only the foundations remain.

The small temple of Aten at akhetaten

aAkhetaten ,amarna,s nowadays excavations:

In recent years, some consolidation and restoration of the temple of Aton was performed at the Piccolo. This included the construction of a column of replication. A prominent brick wall fence that remains of what was once reinforced by akhetaten foreign towers. There brick input cones, and others, which divides the interior of the building. In the back of the temple was originally built in the sanctuary of limestone and sandstone.


This temple had a layer of plaster akhetaten, which is now covered with sand. However, modern stone blocks are placed on the sand in order to provide the basic features of the previous temple.
A circular walk starts in the center of the north wall of this small temple that houses show other parts of the central city of akhetaten. There is a large mound of sand and some rubble, built through the straight path through a small castle racing north of mud bricks. Known as the king's house, probably brought to the royal family during their visits to their North Palace. Behind the king and the House Small Aten Temple (away from the Nile) were a group of public buildings built of mud bricks. This is actually where the famous Amarna letters were discovered by a farmer in 1888 akhetaten.

akhetaten also known as the southern suburb

A look at the ruins of the house Nakhte
South of the Small Aten Temple is the main town, which was the main residential area of ​​the old city, which took place in the south, near the modern village of el-Hagg Qandil. He was part of the city, occupied by the most important people in v (except the king), including the vizier Nakhte, the high priest, the priest Panehsy Pawah, General Ramose, architect and sculptor Manekhtawitf Thutmose (Tuthmosis). Possibly related to this quarter was a river temple still in use under Ramses III, then maybe the 26th Dynasty.

Probably was placed immediately after the Central City of akhetaten. It is a platform built for visitors from the interior of a private house, which has been annulled and see repaired in recent years. Although probably a senior, the owner of the house unknown. There are also the ruins of grain silos.

Further south of the central city of akhetaten, the famous bust of Nefertiti was discovered in the laboratory of Thutmose halfway between el-Hagg Qandil and the edge of the desert at the edge of the page.

Elsewhere, akhetaten has grown as a city, aimlessly illegally built as a citizen of the buildings in which they believed was practical. Some suggest Akhenaten did not have the resources to check the rapid growth of his new city, and adjust your plan (other Egyptian cities are more applied carefully) akhetaten.


North Suburban akhetaten:


Suburb north of the city center by a depression separately. It was apparently inhabited mostly by essentially bourgeois, including a strong commercial component. Did not begin until mid-reign of Akhenaten and was abruptly abandoned, apparently, the end of his reign. Then, apparently, the houses of those who could not afford to travel to Thebes after the end of Amarna,akhetaten, period were inhabited again.


There were large properties built here in principle, between the streets of East and West, and later including houses and slums of the city, which apparently even the roads were blocked.
The North Palace (Palace of Nefertiti) in akhetaten
Further north is the Palacio del Norte, that locals call "The Palace of Nefertiti" (Kasr Nefertiti). This was an independent living on three sides of a long open space, which is divided by a wall and erect tree akhetaten.

The living room of has gardens and rooms with columns along the back. In the northeast corner is the most famous part of the residence, consisting of a garden space. A central chamber on the north side, known as the "green room" was, with a continuous frieze wildlife marsh, he painted. Each room has a window, from which the center could be considered sunk.

akhetaten In recent years, the walls are slightly restored and some of the bases of the missing column have been replaced with modern replicas. There were boxes west on the north side and a solar field with three altars, one of which concluded anything now, but its foundations. This building was probably built by one of the main queens of Akhenaten, but was later converted for use as a princess Meritatón.

The northern city in akhetaten:
A model of the structure of Amarna or akhetaten

Further north, where the cultivation of the ends of the cliff, there is also a city of the North, which had a separate living area, a large palace was known North Riverside Palace. The building is located north of the residential area of akhetaten. This was probably the principal residence of the family of Akhenaten. Most of it is gone, but it's a bit of a brick enclosure wall pierced by a huge massive door in the castle.

Desert Altars of akhetaten
On the way to the tombs of the North of, a guard house, you go, and a short distance west and north of it are the remains of three large solar adobe altars in square platforms with ramps, which altars known as the desert. The northernmost of them had four stretches of sand well beaten, and probably an altar in the center of akhetaten.

The necropolis of akhetaten

 has The necropolis consists of more than twenty tombs before facing the foot of the cliff, located on the east side of the desert plain, which reaches a height of about fifty meters south of King Wadi six graves are located on the north side Fence Darb El-Malik and the North known as the Tombs. These probably many tombs akhetaten of high officials were heard, while others nineteen tombs are located in southern and south, known as the Tombs. South These tombs have been heard by a mixture of public officials.

These tombs of akhetaten are built to be very complicated to make sure you are protected from thieves. Most of them begin with a public meeting, leading to three bedrooms. In these rooms, there are columns of papyrus found in the rear. There is a statue of the deceased would have put the '. According to the entry

The tombs north once were hired by an old Coptic Christian settlement, and groups of small stone cottages on the hillside below the graves of these people, the grave number six become a church. From these tombs, there is an excellent view of the valley in akhetaten.
South Tombs are the largest of the two groups of tombs. They are cut into the sides of a low plateau in front of a big break in the cliffs, where the rock is of poor quality.

But even in this case is the grave number 25, because "God the Father" Oh, that would be the pharaoh was later built. Although often not as awesome as the graves of the north, which have their own charm, but also more variety. 

in akhetaten On the other hand many of the tombs contained little or no sur decor, and some had only begun before the city was abandoned. Some of these tombs were later used for burials, and among these fragments are mainly the period between the 25th and 30th dynasty.
Workers (or Eastern) Pueblo

To the east of akhetaten, in a small valley in the south of a low plateau, which extends from the base of the cliffs between the South Royal Wadi and tombs out there called an interesting development, "the people of the workers' side of. It is a very average household along several parallel paths walled city of akhetaten. Archaeologists believe that workers staying in the rock tombs in the area (which, incidentally, although they were built for the royal courtiers and usually unoccupied) in.

akhetaten However, these walls of have a guard house at the only exit, and seems to have been more likely to get into anything else is to hold off (the main town was protected from any wall for the entire site, including the town of workers high cliffs workers included).

The royal tomb in akhetaten

The royal tomb built by Akhenaten is located in a narrow valley that formed far from the Royal Wadi mouth about six kilometers. Its basic design and proportions are not unlike those of the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of Thebes (modern Luxor) not akhetaten. However, it was for many people, including the king, a prince, and probably Queen Tiye, so more serious sections are planned. There is also an unfinished condition, which may have been the intention of Nefertiti in akhetaten

. Here the rock quality is poor, and therefore the decorations of the tomb were cut from a thin layer of plaster. Therefore, most of the decorations have not survived, and most of what remains is in the rooms of the princess Meketatón in akhetaten.
Other ruins


In Kom el-Nana, south of the capital and east of the modern village of el-Hagg Qandil, it is believed that a house that has surrounded the other the sun temple of Akhenaten. Recent excavations have ceremonial brick buildings and the foundations of the two stone shrines are revealed. The north side of akhetaten was from a Christian monastery in the fifth and sixth century AD occupied. It is also known in the south of the city, a center of worship as unusual Maru-Aten. While it is completely hidden beneath the mounting surface, this seems to have a special feature iconic structure.

Amarna ,akhetaten, in Egypt is unique . The cities of the foreign rulers constructed humanely your destination. It was probably built from scratch and was obviously completely abandoned shortly after Akhenaten's death. Today is considerable research on this site, which ultimately reveals more about the secrets of the most interesting Pharaoh should govern


what is your opinion about akhetaten?