Ay was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the 18th Dynasty, around the 14th century BCE. He was the successor of Tutankhamun, and the last pharaoh of his royal family. He is also known as Kheperkheperure, meaning “Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra”.
Ay’s origins are unclear, but he may have been a commoner who rose through the ranks of the royal court. He served as a vizier, a commander of the chariotry, and a father-in-law to Tutankhamun. He was also a close advisor to Akhenaten, the pharaoh who introduced the monotheistic worship of Aten, the sun disk. Ay may have played a role in restoring the traditional polytheistic religion after Akhenaten’s death.
Ay became pharaoh after Tutankhamun died without an heir. He married Tutankhamun’s widow, Ankhesenamun, to legitimize his claim to the throne. He also buried Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, and commissioned his own tomb nearby. He ruled for about four years, during which he faced challenges from the Hittites, a powerful empire in Anatolia. He also had to deal with the growing influence of the Amun priesthood, who opposed his religious reforms.
Ay was succeeded by Horemheb, a general who had served under Tutankhamun and Ay. Horemheb erased Ay’s name and images from monuments and records, as part of his attempt to erase the memory of the Amarna period. Ay’s tomb was also plundered and damaged by tomb robbers. However, some of his artifacts, such as his canopic jars, his gold mask, and his funerary equipment, have survived and are displayed in various museums around the world.
Ay was a pharaoh who witnessed and influenced some of the most dramatic events in ancient Egyptian history. He rose from humble origins to become the ruler of a powerful civilization. He was involved in the religious revolution of Akhenaten, and the restoration of the old gods. He was the last of his dynasty, and the end of an era.
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: [Ay Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster](^2^)
: [Ay | Biography, Reign, Tomb, & Facts | Britannica]
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