Fact 1 on Ankhesenamun: | She was the daughter of the Pharaoh Akhenaten, the 'Heretic Pharaoh', and Nefertiti. She was the half-sister and the chief wife and queen-consort of Tutankhamun.
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Fact 2 on Ankhesenamun: | The practise of Incest was acceptable amongst the kings of Egypt, in order to retain the sacred and divine bloodline.
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Fact 3 on Ankhesenamun: | She was married to Tutankhamun in 1334BC in the new city of Amarna that had been built by Pharaoh Akhenaten.
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Fact 4 on Ankhesenamun: | She and Tutankhamun were raised in one of the most turbulent times in ancient Egyptian history when Pharaoh Akhenaten had instigated a religious revolution, attempting to ban the worship of all the gods of Egypt in favor of just one god, the Aten. Throughout her early years she was called Ankhesenpaaten and her half-brother and husband was a called Tutankhaten both in honor of the god Aten.
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Fact 5 on Ankhesenamun: | The religious revolution had enraged the powerful priests of the 'old' god Amun and would prove to be fierce enemies of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
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Fact 6 on Ankhesenamun: | The young royal couple lived happily together in Amarna with the royal family but none of their children survived infancy.
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Fact 7 on Ankhesenamun: | In the 17th year of his reign Akhenaten was forced to abdicate.
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Fact 8 on Ankhesenamun: | Akhenaten was followed for a brief two years by a mysterious pharaoh called Smenkhkare and then Tutankhamun assumed the throne of Egypt.
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Fact 9 on Ankhesenamun: | Within three years the pharaoh were forced to change their names to honor the 'old god' Atum, abandon their home in Amarna and move to the old capital of Thebes. The powerful Priests of Amun and the traditionalist courtiers were instrumental in these drastic changes.
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Fact 10 on Ankhesenamun: | The young royal couple were powerless against such powerful opposition.
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Fact 11 on Ankhesenamun: | Then another tragedy - the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun died a mysterious and untimely death in 1325BC. His queen was just 21 years old.
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Fact 12 on Ankhesenamun: | As Tutankhamun was childless the throne was taken by Ay, the father of Nefertiti and the grandfather of Ankhesenamun. Ay had been the power behind the throne during Tutankhamun's reign.
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Fact 13 on Ankhesenamun: | The true heir was General Horemheb, the Commander of the Army, who had been designated as the "Deputy of the Lord of the Two Lands" under Tutankhamun and was presumed to be the boy king's heir apparent and successor
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Fact 14 on Ankhesenamun: | To legitimize his claim to the throne Ay announced his plans to marry the young widow, his graddaughter.
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Fact 15 on Ankhesenamun: | It was a political move and Ankhesenpaaten was totally opposed to the marriage. Her opposition was so strong that she took the unprecedented action of appealing to an enemy of Egypt for help.
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Fact 16 on Ankhesenamun: | Her plea to the King Suppiluliumas I of the Hittites stated the following: "My husband has died and I have no son.
They say about you that you have many sons.
You might give me one of your sons to become my husband.
I would not wish to take one of my subjects as a husband... I am afraid."
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Fact 17 on Ankhesenamun: | In response to her plea King Suppiluliumas sent Prince Zannanza to Egypt to marry her. Prince Zannanza was murdered at the border of Egypt. Her plan had failed and she was forced to marry King Ay.
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Fact 18 on Ankhesenamun: | She died sometime during the brief rule of Ay, between 1325 BC and 1321 BC. Her cause of death is unknown. Like her husband, Tutankhamun, her death remains a mystery.
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Fact 19 on Ankhesenamun: | Horemheb took the throne and desecrated the tomb of Ay, whom he hated. The city of Amarna was destroyed and an attempt was made to destroy all references, monuments and documents relating to Ay, Akhenaten the 'heretic king', Nefertiti and to a lesser extent, Tutankhamun from Egyptian history. They were all publicly condemned.
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