Amarna – City of the Sun God

Head of Akhenaten (dates unknown). Photo: Ole Haupt; © Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

Amarna – City of the Sun God is set in the year is 1365 BCE, focussing on the rise and fall of Amarna . The city, newly founded by the Pharaoh Akhenaten, housed temples for the new god, palaces for the royal family, residential areas, workshops and burial grounds. However, following the death of Akhenaten, Amarna was destroyed and abandoned, and Egypt turned its back on his religious reforms.

Magic and animal deities played a crucial role in this society. When Akhenaten came to power, he abolished the ancient animal deities and ordained a new religion. Now, it was permitted only to worship the sun god, Aten (sometimes spelled ‘Aton’). He was depicted in the form of the solar disk, emitting rays that terminated in hands holding the hieroglyph ankh (= life) over the royal couple: Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. The new cult led to major social upheaval, and the royal couple decided to move and build Amarna as a new place of residence.