Amun Ra Pharaoh

The ancient Egyptian civilization has flourished over the centuries, resulting in masterworks and fascinating achievements. Religion has played an important part in every life aspect to maintain continuity. As a result, many beliefs and deities have emerged, gaining popularity over the years. Among the prominent deities, god Amun was the most powerful of them all, especially after merging with god Ra. Interesting, right?! – Keep reading to know more about Amun Ra Pharaoh, his life, and worship.

Amun; King of the Egyptian Gods

Being the god of air, Amun, also known as Ammon, was one of the eight deities of ancient Egypt. According to the Pyramids texts, Amun was the local god of Thebes, ruling with his wife, Amaunet. Amun became the King of the Egyptian gods during the Middle Kingdom until he became a worshipped god during the New Kingdom. Amun was depicted as a ram or snake and sometimes, a bearded man with the head of a ram, frog, or crocodile. Almost every Egyptian mythology has presented the life of Amun and how different countries equated him with their own deities. As for the Egyptians, they equated him with the god Min while the Greeks emerged him with the god Zeus. Also, the Romans unified him with the god Jupiter. Finally, the Egyptians merged Amun with god Ra until he became Amun-Ra, the supreme deity of divinity itself.

Family

God Amun was a part of the Thebean triad that consists of three gods, representing a mother, father, and child.

  • Amunet was the wife of god Amun and thus, becoming the mother-goddess
  • Mut was the wife of Amun-Ra and hence, she became the goddess of Thebes
  • Khonsu was the son of Amun and god of the moon and time

Amun Worship and Cult

Amun’s worship started only in Thebes, evolved when merged with god Ra, and finally, became the creator of the earth. Growing much in importance, all the kings with doubted legitimacy proved their right in the throne. For example, Hatshepsut claimed that Amun is her father, presented murals stating this fact, and hence, became a pharaoh until she died.

Amun’s popularity started to decline as Isis worship began to rise drastically throughout the entire Egypt. However, Thebes continued to worship Amun even after falling into the Assyrian invasion. Amun’s priests were powerful that they defied the Kings of Meroe, who ordered their slaughter to get rid of their power. As Amun’s worship increased, the Pharaoh always awarded his cult with parts of the lands he conquered. The god’s wife and mother have significant positions among the cult, gaining power over time. Many inscriptions have shown the women of the cult, making their offerings to the gods.

Temples

Various temples were built throughout Egypt to worship god Amun. You can visit the three temples dedicated to Amun, which are Luxor, Karnak, and Deir el-Medina.

  1. Deir el-Medina is situated on the Nile’s western bank. If you’re visiting the Valley of the Kings, don’t miss to stop by Deir el-Medina temple.
  2. Luxor Temple was built about 1,500 BC, became an important religious site and sacred destination during ancient Egypt.
  3. Karnak Temple is Luxor’s crown jewel, built as a dedication to god Amun. Over the years, each pharaoh has added parts until it became the largest temple complex ever built. Visit the Karnak temple and you’ll be stunned by the magnificent architecture, marvelous obelisks, and pylons, carved with decorations and hieroglyphics.

Do you know the Legend of god Ra?

According to the Egyptian beliefs, god Ra was the creator of life and the descendants were created from the tears of his eyes. Ra, the sun god, was tuning his people when they start to rebel against him. To punish them, he ordered his eye to be transformed into a fierce lioness and slaughter human beings. When Ra saw the massacre, he was devastated by the dead children and immediately stopped this. However, he decided he no longer wants to live among his people. So, he sailed to the underworld and illuminated the world of the dead, leaving the earth in complete darkness. When Ra appeared again, he took the form of a flying falcon, and thus the name Horus of the Horizon.

During the New Kingdom, Amun emerged with Ra and combined his wind force with the life-giving sun. Combining forces, Amun-Ra became a powerful deity, holding the whole aspects of life creation. Ancient Egyptians believed that Amun-Ra was the creator of the earth, heaven, and underworld of the dead.

Ready to go!

Would you like to go on a journey through time and history? – You can make this happen with an adventure in Luxor’s significant landmarks. Make your adventure even more enjoyable and attend the Karnak Sound and Light Show, watch as the temple comes back to life, and listen to the amazing ancient tales. Get ready to make memories of a lifetime!