Amarna, Horizon of the Aten

Pharaoh Amenhotep IV changes his name

He commenced the worship of the God Aten as the only deity of all Egypt

And changed his name, to reflect his choice to, Pharaoh Akhenaten

He founded the specifically designed City of Akhetaten: Horizon of the Aten, and commenced its building as his new Capital

Pharaoh moves the Court to his new Capital

He dedicated his new City to his “revised religion” of the Aten, the one God instead the many

The Court and his Royal Family moved with Pharaoh and an additional 30,000 people

Akhetaten was constructed over 6 miles along the Nile to the Pharaoh’s own Plan

14 Boundary Stelae encircled the Capital

The City is finally completed

Most buildings were constructed from mud-brick and then white-washed

Palaces and Temples were faced with local stone as is found in the majority of Egypt’s Capital Cities

Akhetaten included
Temples and Palaces; Gardens often with Pools; a Zoo; Bath Houses; Cemeteries.
Distinct roadways on a grid with divided zones as per their function including: Government Buildings & Quay side and supporting warehouses, Worker’s Living Quarters & Industrial areas, Artist’s Studios and Quarters & Suburbs for residential use, Administrative areas – one building known as the “Record Office”

Pharaoh Akhenaten dies

By the tume of Akhenaten’s death the average person who lived in Akhetaten City suffered with nutritional deficiencies and degenerative joint disease with broken bones being common to over two thirds of the adults
Meanwhile there was a high child mortality rate and the children who survived infancy were stunted in their growth

Akhetaten is eventually abandoned for Thebes

Pharaoh Tutankhamun dies

His ‘Uncle’, Vizier Ay takes the Throne and continues to keep the Capital City at Thebes 

Akhetaten is destroyed 

Pharaoh Ay dies and Head of the Army, Horemheb, acceedes to the Throne

He destroys much of Akhetaten

He further removes Akhenaten’s name from all monuments, and also removes many of Tutankhamun’s and Ay’s names also