The Heretic King: Akhenaten's Legacy

Long before Tutankhamun, there was a Pharaoh Egypt wanted erased from history. His name was Akhenaten

— the “Heretic King.” In 1350 BCE, he broke thousands of years of Egyptian

tradition by declaring there was only one god — the sun disk, Aten.

He closed temples, defied priests, and moved Egypt’s capital to a new city he built himself

— Amarna. Art changed too — suddenly, Pharaohs were shown

with long faces, wide hips, and family scenes — a radical break

from the perfection of the old gods. But after Akhenaten’s death, Egypt struck back.

His temples were destroyed, his name chiseled off monuments, and his city abandoned