It is the only ancient egyptian city which preserves great details of its internal plan in large part because it was abandoned almost completely shortly after the royal government of tutankhamun quit the city in favor of thebes (modern luxor). Unlike the strict idealistic formalism of previous egyptian art, it depicted its subjects more realistically. Amarna is the modern arabic name for the site of the ancient egyptian city of akhetaten, capital of the country under the reign of akhenaten (1353 to 1336 bce)
Here, akhenaten pursued his vision of a society dedicated to the cult of one god, the power of the sun (the aten). Akhenaten’s focus on the worship of aten, along with the establishment of a new capital city, led to significant shifts in egyptian society. Today, akhetaten is known as amarna, a sprawling archaeological site in the province of minya, halfway between cairo and luxor
Amarna was one of the most fascinating and enigmatic periods in ancient egyptian history. This era is named after the city of akhetaten (“horizon of the aten”), founded by akhenaten as a new religious and political capital. The amarna period, centered around the reign of akhenaten, is marked by profound religious, artistic, and political changes
