“Young god, content with what is Right,
lord of sky, lord of earth, sun-disk, alive, great,
illuminating the two riverbanks, alive, my father,
the living Ra-Horakhty rejoicing in what is Right,
in his name as Shu which is in the sun-disk,
given life for ever and eternity,
sun-disk, alive, great, who is in the sed-festival,
amidst the domain of the sun-disk in Akhetaten;
the living Horus strong bull, beloved of the sun-disk,
he of the Two Goddesses, great in kingship in Akhetaten,
Horus of gold, who raises the name of the sun-disk,
dual king, who lives on what is Right, lord of the two lands,
Neferkheperura sole one of Ra,
son of Ra, who lives on what is Right, lord of sunrisings,
Akhenaten, great in his lifespan,
given life for ever and eternity.”
–From a boundary stela at Akhetaten
a dream and ideal
lost home of Aten-Ra
oh Pharaoh’s vision
Amarna resurrected
but forever abandoned
© G.s.k. ‘15
After the death of the Pharaoh Akhenaten, Amarna was quickly abandoned as the priests of the former religions regained their power under Akhenaten’s son, the boy King Tutankhamen (originally Tutankhaten) who, three years into his reign, probably under the influence of his advisers, restored the old religions.
He moved his capitol back to Thebes and dedicated many public works to the gods in hopes of reunifying and restoring his country to greatness which had suffered greatly during the reign of his father. Amarna proper fell into disuse and the main part of the city was never inhabited again though in the Roman period a new city was built near the old site, perhaps the people felt the place was cursed by the gods! Below is a comment from the Wikipedia:
“As part of his restoration, the king initiated building projects, in particular at Karnak in Thebes, where he dedicated a temple to Amun. Many monuments were erected, and an inscription on his tomb door declares the king had “spent his life in fashioning the images of the gods”. The traditional festivals were now celebrated again, including those related to the Apis Bull, Horemakhet, and Opet. His restoration stela says:
The temples of the gods and goddesses … were in ruins. Their shrines were deserted and overgrown. Their sanctuaries were as non-existent and their courts were used as roads … the gods turned their backs upon this land … If anyone made a prayer to a god for advice he would never respond.
The country was economically weak and in turmoil following the reign of Akhenaten. Diplomatic relations with other kingdoms had been neglected, and Tutankhamun sought to restore them, in particular with the Mitanni. Evidence of his success is suggested by the gifts from various countries found in his tomb. Despite his efforts for improved relations, battles with Nubians and Asiatics were recorded in his mortuary temple at Thebes. His tomb contained body armour and folding stools appropriate for military campaigns.”
a ghost
shimmering in the desert
abandoned father
as the sun sank in the sands
Amarna soulless city
© G.s.k. ‘15
Written for:
Bastet and Sekhmet's Library 