Ay was the penultimate pharaoh of ancient Egypt 's 18th Dynasty . He held the throne of Egypt for a brief four-year period in the late 14th century BC. Prior to his rule, he was a close advisor to two, and perhaps three, other pharaohs of the dynasty. It is speculated that he was the power behind the throne during child ruler Tutankhamun 's reign. His prenomen Kheperkheperure means "Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra", while his nomen Ay it-netjer reads as "Ay, Father of the God". Records and monuments that can be clearly attributed to Ay are rare, both because his reign was short and because his successor, Horemheb , instigated a campaign of damnatio memoriae against him and the other pharaohs associated with the unpopular Amarna Period .
43-457: [REDACTED] Look up ay in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Ay , AY or variants, may refer to: People [ edit ] Ay (pharaoh) , a pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian dynasty Merneferre Ay , a pharaoh of the 13th Egyptian dynasty A.Y. (musician) (born 1981), a Tanzanian "bongo flava" artist AY, the stage name of Ayo Makun ,
86-402: A Nigerian actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, actor, writer, director and emcee Ay dynasty , a ruling lineage in south India Fatma Ay (born 1992), Turkish female handball player Savaş Ay (1954–2013), Turkish journalist Yeliz Ay (born 1977), Turkish female racewalker Places [ edit ] Aÿ , former commune of Marne département , France Ay (river) ,
129-433: A daughter who married the pharaoh Akhenaten, possibly being the father of Akhenaten's chief wife Nefertiti . Ultimately there is no evidence to definitively prove either hypothesis. The two theories are not mutually exclusive, but either relationship would explain the exalted status to which Ay rose during Akhenaten's Amarna interlude , when the royal family turned their backs on Egypt's traditional gods and experimented, for
172-498: A dozen years or so, with an early form of monotheism ; an experiment that, whether out of conviction or convenience, Ay appears to have followed under the reign of Akhenaten. The Great Hymn to the Aten is also found in his Amarna tomb which was built during his service under Akhenaten. His wife Tey was born a commoner but was given the title Nurse of the Pharaoh's Great Wife . If she were
215-465: A military officer under Tutankhamun who was Ay's chosen successor—is dated to "Year 4, IV Akhet day 1" of Ay's reign. Manetho 's Epitome assigns a reign length of four years and one month to Horemheb, and this was usually assigned to him based on this Year 4 dated stela; however, it is now believed that figure should be raised by a decade to fourteen years and one month and attributed to Horemheb instead, as Manetho intended. Hence, Ay's precise reign length
258-503: A river in Russia Antarctica (DAFIF 0413 / DIA 65-18 / FIPS PUB 10-4 territory code and obsolete NATO digram AY) Armenia (WMO country code AY) Language [ edit ] Aymara language (ISO-639 alpha-2 code AY) Ay , transliteration of Volapük Ä and ä Arts and entertainment [ edit ] Characters and fictional entities [ edit ] Ay or A ( エー , Ē ) , two characters from
301-480: A woman with the name Mutnodjimet. Ay's reign was preceded by that of Tutankhamun , who ascended to the throne at the age of eight or nine, at a time of great tension between the new monotheism and the old polytheism. He was assisted in his kingly duties by his predecessor's two closest advisors: Grand Vizier Ay and General of the Armies Horemheb . Tutankhamun's nine-year reign, largely under Ay's direction, saw
344-570: Is a city in the Sohag Governorate of Upper Egypt . Referred to by the ancient Greeks as Khemmis or Chemmis ( Ancient Greek : Χέμμις ) and Panopolis ( Ancient Greek : Πανὸς πόλις and Πανόπολις ), it is located on the east bank of the Nile , four miles (6.4 km) to the northeast of Sohag . Akhmim was known in Ancient Egypt as Ipu , Apu (according to Brugsch the name is related to
387-417: Is based on the fact that both Yuya and Ay came from Akhmim and held the titles 'God's Father' and 'Master of Horses'. A strong physical resemblance has been noted between the mummy of Yuya and surviving statuary depictions of Ay. The mummy of Ay has not been located, although fragmentary skeletal remains recovered from his tomb may represent it, so a more thorough comparison with Yuya cannot be made. Therefore,
430-449: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Ay (pharaoh) Ay is believed to have been from Akhmim . During his short reign, he built a rock-cut chapel in Akhmim and dedicated it to the local deity Min . He may have been the son of the courtier Yuya and his wife Thuya , making him a brother of Tiye and Anen . This connection
473-489: Is left of the town, the temples were almost completely dismantled, and their material reused in the later Middle Ages . The extensive cemeteries of ancient Akhmim are yet to be fully explored. The destroyed corner of a Greco-Roman period temple with colossal statues of Ramesses II and Meritamen was discovered in 1981. Of Akhmim, in 1818 Jacques Collin de Plancy wrote in his book, the Dictionnaire Infernal , that
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#1732851139580516-411: Is no other evidence for Nakhtmin as a Viceroy—with another man [Paser I] attested in office at this period as well—the latter suggestion seems the most likely. As Nakhtmin donated items to the burial of Tutankhamun without such a title, it follows that he only became a King's son subsequently, presumably under Ay. This theory is supported by the evidence of intentional damage to Nakhtmin's statue, since Ay
559-430: Is unknown and he could have ruled for as long as seven to nine years, since most of his monuments and his funerary temple at Medinet Habu were either destroyed or usurped by his successor, Horemheb . Prior to his death, Ay attempted to sideline Horemheb from the royal succession. Horemheb, who was the general in charge of Egypt's armies and previously held the title of jrj-pꜥt or "Hereditary Prince" under Tutankhamun,
602-656: The Christian Coptic era, Akhmim was written in Sahidic Coptic : ϣⲙⲓⲛ/ⲭⲙⲓⲛ/ⲭⲙⲓⲙ Shmin/Kmin/Kmim but was probably pronounced locally something like Khmin or Khmim . Monasteries abounded in this region from a very early date. Pachomius the Great founded a monastery known as Tkahshmin in the area. Shenouda the Archimandrite (348–466) was a monk at Athribis near Akhmim. Some years earlier Nestorius ,
645-505: The East Valley of the Kings ( KV62 ). Depending on the chronology followed, Ay served as pharaoh between 1323 and 1319 BC, 1327–1323 BC, or 1310–1306 BC. Tutankhamun's death around the age of 18 or 19, together with the fact he had no living children, left a power vacuum that his Grand Vizier Ay was quick to fill: he is depicted conducting the funerary rites for the deceased monarch and assuming
688-459: The Horses of His Majesty", the highest rank in the elite charioteering division of the army, which was just below the rank of General . Prior to this promotion he appears to have been first a Troop Commander and then a "regular" Overseer of Horses, titles which were found on a box thought to have been part of the original furnishings for his tomb. Other titles listed in this tomb include Fan-bearer on
731-512: The Right Side of the King , Acting Scribe of the King, beloved by him , and God's Father . The 'Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King' was a very important position, and is viewed as showing that the bearer had the 'ear' of the ruler. The final God's Father title is the one most associated with Ay, and was later incorporated into his royal name when he became pharaoh. This title could mean that he
774-568: The Western Valley of the Kings...and removed all other [visible] inscriptions and images of Ay." The rivalry which began when Ay attempted to sideline Horemheb from the royal succession ended in Horemheb's victory. Akhmim Akhmim ( Arabic : أخميم , pronounced [ʔæxˈmiːm] ; Akhmimic Coptic : ⳉⲙⲓⲙ , Coptic pronunciation: [xmiːm] ; Sahidic/Bohairic Coptic : ϣⲙⲓⲛ Coptic pronunciation: [ʃmiːn] )
817-438: The city "formerly had the reputation of being the abode of the greatest magicians. Paul Lucas speaks, in his second voyage, of the marvelous serpent of Akhmin, which Muslims honor as an angel, and which Christians believe to be the demon Asmodeus." Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert (BWh). Akhmim is the largest town on the east side of the Nile in Sohag Governorate . In 1907,
860-653: The city, Sabinus, and Menas. Excavations at Akhmim have disclosed numerous Christian manuscripts, among them fragments of the Book of Henoch , of the Gospel, and of the Apocalypse of Peter , the Acts of the Council of Ephesus , as well as numerous other Christian inscriptions. In the 13th century AD, a very imposing temple still stood in Akhmim. Today, little of its past glory remains. Nothing
903-600: The exiled ex-patriarch of Constantinople , had died at an old age in the neighborhood of Akhmim. Nonnus , the Greek poet , was born at Panopolis at the end of the 4th century. The bishopric of Panopolis, a suffragan of Antinoë in Thebais Prima , is included in the Catholic Church 's list of titular sees . Among the bishops of Panopolis, Le Quien mentions Arius, friend of Saint Pachomius who had built three convents in
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#1732851139580946-413: The last king of Egypt's 18th Dynasty instead of Nakhtmin. The fact that Nakhtmin was Ay's intended political heir is strongly implied by an inscription carved on a dyad funerary statue of Nakhtmin and his spouse which was presumably made during Ay's reign. Nakhtmin is clearly given the titles "Crown Prince" ( jrj-pꜥt ) and "King's Son" ( zꜣ-nswt ). The only conclusion which can be drawn here is that Nakhtmin
989-596: The manga Naruto and derived works Music [ edit ] "Ay", a song by Tarkan from the 2001 album Karma " Ay! ", a song by Machine Gun Kelly from the 2022 album Mainstream Sellout Science [ edit ] Academic year , sometimes abbreviated as "AY" General Instrument AY-3-8910 , a computer sound chip common in the 1980s and often referred to as the "AY chip" AY, IATA airline designator for Finnair See also [ edit ] Aye (disambiguation) Aylesbury , Buckinghamshire, England Eye (disambiguation) Topics referred to by
1032-436: The mother of Nefertiti she would be expected to have the royal title Mother of the Pharaoh's Great Wife instead; had Ay been the father of Nefertiti, then Tey would have been her stepmother. In several Amarna tomb chapels there is a woman whose name begins with "Mut" who had the title Sister of the Pharaoh's Great Wife . This could also be a daughter of Ay's by his wife Tey, and it is known that his successor Horemheb married
1075-454: The nearby village of Kafr Abou) or Khent-min . It was the capital of the ninth (Chemmite) nome of Upper Egypt . The city is a suggested hometown for Yuya , the official of Tuthmosis IV and Amenhotep III . The ithyphallic Min (whom the Greeks identified with Pan ) was worshipped here as "the strong Horus ." Herodotus mentions the temple dedicated to Perseus and asserts that Chemmis
1118-407: The parents of Nefertiti. Nakhtmin , Ay's chosen successor, was likely his son or grandson. Nakhtmin's mother was Iuy, a priestess of Min and Isis in Akhmim. She may have been Ay's first wife. All that is known for certain was that by the time he was permitted to build a tomb for himself ( Southern Tomb 25 ) at Amarna during the reign of Akhenaten , he had achieved the title of "Overseer of All
1161-452: The population of the city was 23,795, of whom about one third were Copts . Akhmim has several mosques and two Coptic churches. The Monastery of the Martyrs is located about 6 km northeast of the city. Akhmim maintains a weekly market, and manufactures cotton goods, notably the blue shirts and check shawls with silk fringes worn by the poorer classes of Egypt . Outside the walls are
1204-561: The return of the old gods – and, with that, the restoration of the power of the Amun priesthood, who had lost their influence over Egypt under Akhenaten. Egyptologist Bob Brier suggested that Ay murdered Tutankhamun in order to usurp the throne, a claim which was based on X-ray examinations of the body done in 1968. He also alleged that Ankhesenamun and the Hittite prince she was about to marry were also murdered at his orders. This murder theory
1247-549: The role of heir. The grounds on which he based his successful claim to power are not entirely clear. The Commander of the Army, Horemheb , had actually been designated as the "idnw" or "Deputy of the Lord of the Two Lands" under Tutankhamun and was presumed to be the boy king's heir apparent and successor. It appears that Horemheb was outmaneuvered to the throne by Ay, who legitimized his claim to
1290-449: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Ay . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ay&oldid=1238916619 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Articles containing Japanese-language text Short description
1333-411: The state of Ay-Horemheb's mortuary temple: Wherever a cartouche has been preserved, the name of Eye [i.e., Ay] has been erased and replaced by that of his successor Harmhab. In all but a single instance had it been overlooked and no change made. Thus the temple, which Eye had begun and finished, at least in the rear rooms with their fine paintings, was usurped by his successor and was thenceforth known as
Ay - Misplaced Pages Continue
1376-466: The temple of Harmhab. Seals on stoppers of wine jars from the temple magazines read: "Wine from the temple of Harmhab". Nozomu Kawai describes Horemheb's actions as a damnatio memoriae since once he became king, Horemheb "started erasing all depictions of [king] Ay on the monuments of Tutankhamun, as well as those on Ay's royal monuments and those of his entourage. This action must be understood as damnatio memoriae. Horemheb desecrated Ay's tomb (KV 23) in
1419-404: The theory that he was the son of Yuya rests entirely on circumstantial evidence. Ay's Great Royal Wife was Tey , who was known to be the wet-nurse to Nefertiti . It is often theorised that he was the father of Nefertiti as a way to explain his title 'God's Father' as it has been argued that the term designates a man whose daughter married the king. However, nowhere are Ay and Tey referred to as
1462-431: The throne by burying Tutankhamun, as well as possibly marrying Ankhesenamun , Tutankhamun's widow. Since Ay was already advanced in age upon his accession, he ruled Egypt in his own right for only four years. During this period, he consolidated the return to the old religious ways that he had initiated as senior advisor and constructed a mortuary temple at Medinet Habu for his own use. A stela of Nakhtmin (Berlin 2074),
1505-488: The trading tribes are likely to have gathered to his festivals for business and pleasure at Coptos (which was really near Neapolis ) even more than at Akhmim. Herodotus perhaps confused Coptos with Chemmis. Strabo mentions linen-weaving and stone-cutting as ancient industries of Panopolis, and it is not altogether a coincidence that the cemetery of Akhmim is one of the chief sources of the beautiful textiles of Roman and Christian age, that are brought from Egypt . In
1548-489: Was amongst the Amarna pharaohs whose memories were execrated under later rulers. It appears that one of Horemheb's undertakings as Pharaoh was to eliminate all references to the monotheistic experiment, a process that included expunging the name of his immediate predecessors, especially Ay, from the historical record. Horemheb desecrated Ay's burial and had most of Ay's royal cartouches in his WV23 tomb erased while his sarcophagus
1591-580: Was caused by sickle cell disease . Ay buried his young predecessor, as depicted on the wall of Tutankhamun's burial chamber. The explicit depiction of a succeeding king conducting the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony of another is unique; the depictions are usually more generic. Ay was buried in the tomb intended for Tutankhamun in the West Valley of the Kings ( WV23 ), and Tutankhamun was interred in Ay's intended tomb in
1634-450: Was either a son or an adopted son of Ay's, and that Ay was grooming Nakhtmin for the royal succession instead of Horemheb. The British Egyptologists Aidan Dodson and Dyan Hilton observe that the aforementioned statue: ... is broken after the signs for "King's Son of", and there has been considerable debate as to whether it continued to say "Kush", making Nakhtmin a Viceroy of Nubia, or "of his body", making him an actual royal son. Since there
1677-572: Was not accepted by all scholars, and further analysis of the x-rays, along with CT scans taken in 2005, found no evidence to suggest that Tutankhamun died from a blow to the head as Brier had theorized. In 2010, a team led by Zahi Hawass reported that the young king had died from a combination of a broken leg, malaria and Köhler disease but another team from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg believes his death
1720-464: Was remarkable for being the hero’s birthplace, wherein celebrations and games were held in his honour after the manner of the Greeks; at which prizes were given. As a matter of fact, some representations are known of Nubians and people of Punt (southern coastal Sudan and the Eritrean coast) climbing up poles before the god Min. Min was especially a god of the desert routes on the east of Egypt , and
1763-501: Was replaced in the succession by General Nakhtmin under king Ay. In fact, two separate men were designated jrj-pꜥt or "Hereditary Prince" under Ay's short reign namely: Nay and Nakhtmin. Nozomu Kawai writes that Nay built his TT271 tomb at the hill of Qurnat Murai , facing Ay's mortuary temple at Medinet Habu where he holds the titles of: In contrast, the case of general Nakhtmin is quite different than that of Nay. As Kawai writes: Ay's succession plans went awry, as Horemheb became
Ay - Misplaced Pages Continue
1806-402: Was smashed into numerous fragments. However, the intact sarcophagus lid was discovered in 1972 by Otto Schaden . The lid had been buried under debris in this king's tomb and still preserved Ay's cartouche. Horemheb also usurped Ay's mortuary temple at Medinet Habu for his own use. Uvo Hölscher (1878–1963) who excavated the temple in the early 1930s provides these interesting details concerning
1849-550: Was the father-in-law of the pharaoh, suggesting that he was the son of Yuya and Thuya , thus being a brother or half-brother of Tiye , brother-in-law to Amenhotep III and the maternal uncle of Akhenaten. Instead, the title may indicate that Ay was the tutor of Tutankhamun. If Ay was the son of Yuya, who was a senior military officer during the reign of Amenhotep III, then he likely followed in his father's footsteps, finally inheriting his father's military functions upon his death. Alternatively, it could also mean that he may have had
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