The Royal Wadi of Amarna, also known as Wadi Abu Hassah el-Bahari, is a significant archaeological site located on the eastern desert plateau of Akhetaten, Egypt. This wadi served as the royal necropolis during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten in the 18th Dynasty. It is a natural corridor leading to the Royal Tomb of Akhenaten and is characterized by its resemblance to the hieroglyph for "horizon" (ꜥ꯭kꜥt), which may have influenced the city's name, Akhetaten, meaning "Horizon of the Aten".
Amarna, the capital city established by Akhenaten, was constructed in the mid-14th century BCE. The Royal Wadi is situated approximately 6 kilometers east of the city's central area, nestled between cliffs that rise about 100 meters above the surrounding desert floor. The wadi's formation and orientation provided a natural and symbolic route for royal burials, aligning with Akhenaten's religious reforms centered on the worship of the Aten, the sun disk deity.
The Royal Wadi is part of a broader funerary landscape that includes the Valley of the Kings among other royal necropolis to the west of the Nile. Unlike the Valley of the Kings, which was used for royal burials in Thebes, the Royal Wadi was specifically designated for the interment of Akhenaten and his immediate family. The wadi's design and location reflect the unique religious and political context of the Amarna Period.
circa 1346-1332 BCE
The Royal Wadi of Amarna contains a series of tombs primarily associated with Pharaoh Akhenaten and his immediate family, reflecting the unique funerary practices of the Amarna Period. The Royal Tomb (Tomb 26) is the most prominent, designed as a multichambered complex intended for Akhenaten, his mother Tiye, and his daughter Meketaten, with an unfinished annex possibly meant for Nefertiti. The walls were originally decorated with scenes depicting the royal family under the rays of the Aten and mourning rituals, highlighting the period’s distinctive religious iconography. Several other tombs in the wadi, such as Tombs 27, 28, and 29, remain unfinished or partially complete, suggesting plans for additional royal burials that were never realized due to the short-lived nature of Akhenaten’s city and dynasty.
Among the smaller tombs, Tomb 28 stands out as a finished but modest burial site, likely intended for a royal child, while Tomb 30 appears to have served a functional role, possibly as a cache for embalming materials rather than as a primary burial chamber. Tombs 27 and 29 feature descending corridors and monumental doorways but lack evidence of completed interments, indicating abandonment before use. Collectively, the tombs of the Royal Wadi illustrate both the ambitious funerary planning of the Amarna rulers and the abrupt cessation of these efforts following the death of Akhenaten and the city’s abandonment, providing valuable insights into the architectural and ritual practices of this brief but transformative period in Egyptian history.
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The Madain Project is an online archive of Abrahamic History and Archaeology.
Abrahamic History & Archaeology is the study of history and archaeology with respect to the three Abrahamic Faiths without considering the religious and theological aspects. The goal of Abrahamic History is to understand how and why the religious doctrines and behaviours have evlovled and changed over time. Searching for patterns in the evolution of significant cultural events such as the development of farming, the emergence of cities, or the collapse of major civilizations for clues of why and how these have influenced the three major Abrahamic religions.
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