‘Tutankhamun Speaks: Inside my mask of gold, lapis, turquoise and amber, my naked body breaks its bondage and soars like an eagle towards the golden sun of rejuvenation’ Ramon Ravenswood, Icons speak.
King Tutankhamun was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the New Kingdom of Egyptian history. Tutankhamun was the last pharaoh of his royal family to rule during the end of the 18th Dynasty. Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922 in excavations funded by Lord Carnarvon. The name ‘Tutankhamun’ is thought to mean ‘Living image of Aten’, ‘Living image of Amun’.
Aten and Amun were ancient Egyptian gods of the sun and air.
Tutankhamun took to the royal throne at the age of eight or nine years of age. He was the son of Amenhotep IV, the mummy believed to have been found in KV55. His mother is believed by some historians to have been Queen Nefertiti. Tutankhamun married his half sister Ankhesenamun. During their marriage they had lost two daughters.
King Tutankhamun reversed his fathers earlier reforms in religion. His father Amenhotep IV upended a centuries-old religious system to favor worship of a single deity, the sun god Aten. Tutankhamun revived worship of the god Amun and restored Thebes as a religious center.
Tutankhamun became a prominent figure after English archaeologist Howard Carter discovered his tomb in the twentieth century. Carter's discovery is described to be one of the richest and most celebrated contributions to Egyptology.
‘We were astonished by the beauty and refinement of the art displayed by the objects surpassing all we could have imagined - the impression was overwhelming’ Howard Carter.
King Tutankhamun’s tomb has toured the world in several museum shows, including the worldwide 1972 - 79 ‘Treasures of Tutankhamun’ exhibitions. In seven US cities, eight million visitors viewed the exhibition of the golden burial mask and fifty other valuable artifacts found in the tomb. Tutankhamun’s tomb today remains on display in the Valley of the Kings in the KV62 chamber. The original layered coffin has been replaced with a climate controlled glass box. Tutankhamun’s beautiful golden mask is now on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
‘There is no happiness for the soul in the external worlds since these are perishable, true happiness lies in that which is eternal, within us’ 20 Ancient Egyptian Quotes from The Book of The Dead and Egyptian Proverbs.
King Tutankhamun’s soul is remembered today through his wonderful preserved tomb and the special artifacts found within it. The 4th November 2022 marks 100 years since British archaeologist Howard Carter found his tomb.
Read more about Ancient Egypt and the Valley of Kings
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun