Ay (Kheperkheperure) in Tour Egypt
AY, SUCCESSOR TO TUTANKHAMUN
The 18th dynasty is one of the most interesting periods in Egypt's history, having such
notable kings as Akhenaten, the heretic king, and such well known kings as Tutankhamun.
Ay, who was probably an old man (at least 70) when he inherited the thrown from
Tutankhamun, apparently inherited the thrown by marrying Tutankhamun's widow,
Ankhesenamun. There seems to have been considerable intrigue to this marriage. This she
likely did against her wishes, as Ay was probably her grandfather. Further, is would
seem that she was not even regarded as a dominant wife, as paintings in his tomb usually
showed Ay accompanied by Tiy, an older wife. In fact, we learn from Hittite archives
that Ankhesenamun wrote to Suppiliumas, the Hittite king, requesting one of this sons
for her to marry and make pharaoh. After some investigation by Suppiliumas, this request
was granted, but his son, Zannanza was killed en-rout while traveling through Syria.
But evidence of Ankhesenamun's marriage to Ay was noted by Professor Percy Newberry,
who recorded a ring he found in Cairo in the 1920s with he cartouches of Ay and
Ankhesenamun inscribed side by side, a typical way of indicating marriage. This wedding
must have happened rapidly, for Ay officiated at Tutankhamun's funeral as a king wearing
the Blue Crown, thus enhancing his claim to the thrown. His reign was brief, believed to
only have been four years. It is likely that Ankhensenamun died very shortly afterwards,
for there is no mention of her beyond the Cairo ring. In fact, her image has been hacked
out on several monuments, and it has been suggested that her dealings with the Hittites
may have disgraced her, resulting in her death.
Ay (it-netjer) means "Father of God. His Throne name was Kheperkheperu-re, meaning
"Everlasting are the Manifestations of Re". He is first documented as a Master of Horses
at the court of Akhenaten, though he was probably originally from Akhmin, where was
responsible for the rock chapel to the local god, Min. His career is fairly well
documented during the reign of Akhenaten, when he rose to the position of Vizier and
royal chancellor. He probably never held any priestly office prior to becoming king,
however, but was instead a military man like most of the men of power during this
period. He may have been related to Yuya, the father of Queen Tiye, making him the
brother-in-law of Amenophis III.
We believe Ay reigned in Egypt between 1325 and 1321 BC, and was burred in Tomb KV 23 in
the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank at Luxor (ancient Thebes), though his mummy has
never been positively identified. It has been suggested that the mummy from the 1881
cache originally identified as Amenhotep III might rather be that of Ay, but this is
probably doubtful. This tomb was probably originally meant for Tutankhamun. Ay's
sarcophagus was very similar to Tutankhamun's with winged goddesses at each corner. Also
present, as in Tutankhamun's tomb, were decorative designs featuring the representation
of the twelve monkeys, symbolizing the night hours on one of the burial chamber walls.
Totally unique to any royal tomb are beautiful bird hunting scenes. The tomb was
discovered by Belzoni in 1816.
It was probably Horenheb who succeeded Ay and who wrecked havoc in Ay's tomb in the
Valley of the Kings. When Belzoni found the tomb, the sarcophagus was in fragments and
his figure was hacked out and his name excised in the wall paintings and text. Likewise,
little of Ay's building projects can be identified probably because Horenheb probably
usurped these as well. In Ay's mortuary temple near Medinet Habu, he had his name
inscribed on two quartzite colossi of Tutankhamun, but these too were modified by
Horenheb when he took over Ay's temple complex. Ay had nominally carried on the heretic
religious practices of Akhenaten, and it would be Horemheb who would put an end to this.
It should also be noted that early on, Ay began construction of one of the largest tombs
at El-Amarna, containing the longer of the two surviving versions of the Hymn to the
Aten. The last decoration in Ay's el-Amarna tomb was probably created in the ninth year
of Akenaten's reign. However, this tomb was later abandoned in favor of the tomb in the
Valley of the Kings.
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