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Aten

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A beautiful ancient Egyptian relief showing Pharaoh Akhenaton, Queen Nefertiti, and their three daughters receiving blessings from the sun god Aton.

Aten: The Sun Disc of Ancient Egypt

Aten was a very special and important sun god in ancient Egypt. People first thought of Aten as the bright sun disc in the sky. During a time called the Amarna Period, a pharaoh named Akhenaten decided that everyone should only worship Aten instead of many gods.

Aten was shown as a sun disc with rays that ended in hands. This showed that Aten was everywhere, like sunlight. Aten was thought to give life and care for all people. Akhenaten even built a new city called Akhetaten where people could worship Aten. The temples there had no roofs so sunlight could shine in.

After Akhenaten passed away, another pharaoh named Tutankhamun brought back the old way of worshipping many gods, including one named Amun. Even though Aten was not the main god anymore, people still remembered Aten as a important part of ancient Egyptian history.

Aten’s name means “disc,” and it described the flat, round shape of the sun in the sky. People loved Aten because they believed the sun’s light helped everything grow and gave life.

Images

Ancient Egyptian religious scene depicting worship of Aten, the sun god, from the time of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
An ancient Egyptian relief showing Pharaoh Akhenaten praying to the sun god Aten, from the Amarna Period.
Ancient Egyptian artwork showing a king making a symbolic offering with a duck.
The Small Temple of the Aten, an ancient Egyptian temple built during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
A beautifully gilded throne from the tomb of the ancient Egyptian king Tutankhamun, showcasing intricate craftsmanship and rich history.
An ancient Egyptian relief showing a royal figure receiving the symbol of life from the sun god Aten, from the time of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
An ancient limestone column fragment from Egypt showing early symbols and writing from the time of King Akhenaten.
An ancient Egyptian statue head from the time of Pharaoh Akhenaten, displayed at the Petrie Museum in London.
An ancient Egyptian stone fragment showing parts of royal names from the time of Pharaoh Akhenaten, found in Amarna and now displayed at the Petrie Museum in London.
An ancient limestone piece from a statue featuring inscriptions from the time of Pharaoh Akhenaten, discovered in Amarna, Egypt.
Ancient Egyptian stone carving showing symbols of the god Aten from the time of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
An ancient bronze plate featuring cartouches of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten and the god Aten, showcasing important symbols from ancient Egyptian history.
Ancient Egyptian relief showing Pharaoh Akhenaten, Queen Nefertiti, and their three daughters worshipping the sun god Aten.
An illustration of an ancient Egyptian pyramid in a desert landscape.

Related articles

Egypt
Tutankhamun
Amun

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Aten, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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