Friday, November 4, 2011

Tutankhamun – the boy Pharoh


Tutankhamun – the boy Pharoh
Tutankhamun was born in about the 11th year of the Akhenten. He was named Tutankhaten, which means the living image of ‘Aten’. It is believed that he was the son of Amenhotep III and Akhenaten. In fact most scholars believe that Tutankhaten was the son of Akhenten and Kiya. As a boy he was brought up in the royal palace at Amarna. Tutankhaten was only about eight or nine years old when he ascended the throne. Tutankhaten married his own sister , Ankhsenpaaten, daughter of Nefertiti and Akhenatenas . Even before he ascended the throne he was
influenced by the priesthood of Amun. He soon changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun and that of his queen , from Ankhsenpaaten to Ankhsenamun. Like all new kingdom Pharaohs, Tutankhamun also had five names. The two names by which he was best known were his birth name and throne name.
The golden king died in January of 1327
BC, when he was only about eighteen years old. He was buried with the richest collection of wealth. Much has been written about the mysterious death of the young king, with many believing that he was murdered. It may be possible that he had a genetic disorder like Akhenten that could have ended his life prematurely. However his death remains a mystery to this day.
But it does not take away from the fact that Tutankhamen was one of most written about and well known Pharohs that ever lived.

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