Image : http://www.flickr.com
In an era where a plethora of divine beings existed and were worshipped, Pharaoh Akhenaten's name is penned down in history for being the first to adopt monotheism. The Pharaoh was also known as the Heretic King. However, under his father, Amenhotep III, he abided by all the Egyptian culture norms and rituals upholding the belief of polytheism. It was his marriage to the Neferititi of Akhmin, a political move that led to him supporting monotheism.
After entering into wedlock with the Nefertiti of Akhmin, he commenced to worship one sole divine power in the guise of God Aten. Thereafter, he abandoned the facet of royalty attached to his name by eliminating Amenhotep and keeping the moniker, Akhenaten instead. The word Akhenaten personified an individual who served Aten. His wife also changed her name to Nefer-Nefru-Aten, denoting 'Beautiful is the Beauty of Aten'.
This progressive and unorthodox ideology of the ruler was condemned by the priests of Thebes. Although, this resentment could not challenge his authority as a king but it did lead to the establishment of a new court on the east bank of the Nile, adjacent to Amarna. The king's religious conviction of monotheism was a debatable issue and was opposed by many. However, there were others to the score of almost 20,000 who adopted the philosophy of Akhenaten and started residing at Akhenaten el-Armana.
The city of Akhenaten el-Armana also came to be known for its art and architecture. The city was designed on urban lines with beautiful gardens and splendid pieces of architecture. The grand royal avenue constructed parallel to the River Nile showcased the superior architecture under him. The avenue encompassed an open area referred to as the 'Window of Appearance' especially marked for holding speeches and presenting honors by the ruler to the deserving servers of the dominion. In those days itself, the architecture had reached the level of modernity that led to the construction of a bridge between two buildings within this avenue.
Egyptian art also flourished under the reign of Heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten. The stone tablet wall relief was the most prevalent style of artistic excellence known as stelae. The Pharaoh motivated the transformation in the line of thought of the artists from depicting death towards celebrating life through their art. The wall reliefs were made for aesthetic and religious reasons and represented paintings and text together. The opposition to his monotheistic convictions initiated the demolishment of the king's heritage by the opposing priests of Thebes. Very little of his legacy still exists in the form of artifacts. The Akhenaten and Family wall relief in the Altes Museum at Berlin is one such remembrance. This piece of art symbolizes the innate art form that Akhenaten supported in contrast to the existing royal and posed art forms. The wall relief highlights Akhenaten and Nefertiti with their two daughters, the father kissing one and the other daughter playing with the mother's earrings.
About Author:
Kum Martin is an online leading tax expert. He also offers top quality articles like:
Greek Mythology, Alexander the Great.
