When Akhenaten changed the religion to the worship of one god, Aten, he also changed the location of the empire’s capital from Thebes to Amarna, a place that was untainted by images of other gods. The revolutionary change in religion made Akhenaten the primary priest and the sole connection to the sun god. This
The king, his queen Nefertiti, and his daughter Meritaten stand with offerings for the sun, whose rays, ending in human hands, extend toward them with offerings of ankhs. Akhenaten wears the crown of Upper Egypt and a shendyt, a finely pleated garment with a long front panel. On his chest and arms, the pharaoh has six carved cartouches containing the name of the Aten. Both women are clothed in flowing, floor-length robes and Nefertiti wears a royal headdress, a smooth kerchief with the ends drawn together that hang down behind her neck. Marsh plants, which were used to make paper, are on the offering stands in front of the royal family.
Part of a Balustrade Depicting the Aten, Akhenaten, and His Family
Limestone
Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) (1353–1336 B.C.)
Tell-el-Amarna, Great Palace