Tell el-Amarna

What is left of Akhenaten's city?

Akhetaten was built at speed and then dismantled by later kings for its stone, so what survives is not standing temples but a wide desert plain of low walls and foundations, cliff tombs carved for the city's elite, and the stelae that marked its edges. The site stretches for more than 10 km along a bay in the eastern cliffs, with the modern villages of el-Till and el-Hagg Qandil between the ruins and the river.

Its value lies in what that emptiness preserves: a whole royal city of a single generation, never built over. Excavations since the 1890s, and since the 1970s by the long-running British-led Amarna Project, have mapped houses, workshops, palaces and a workmen's village. For who built it and why, read our guides to Akhenaten, the Aten and the Amarna period; this page is about visiting.

The tombs: north and south

The highlights of a visit are the rock-cut tombs of Akhenaten's officials, in two groups in the cliffs at the northern and southern ends of the plain, whose reliefs show the royal family under the rays of the Aten. Most were never finished or used, because the city was abandoned, and many reliefs were damaged in later centuries, but the scenes that survive are unlike anything in Luxor.

Northern Tombs

• Meryre I, high priest of the Aten: the great temple with its offering tables, and the king and queen in their chariot.
• Huya, steward of Queen Tiye: a royal family dinner and the reception of foreign tribute.
• Meryre II and Panehesy: more scenes of the royal family and city life; Panehesy's tomb was later reused as a church.

Southern Tombs

• Ay, the courtier who later became pharaoh: the longest copy of the Great Hymn to the Aten and an unfinished hall of columns.
• Mahu, chief of police: lively, well-preserved scenes of patrols and the city's security.

Which tombs are open varies; your guide will confirm on the day. Expect a short climb on paths and steps up to each group.

The Royal Tomb and the city ruins

The Royal Tomb, cut for Akhenaten and his family, lies about 6 km up a desert wadi behind the city and needs a vehicle and usually a separate ticket. It is badly damaged, but rooms prepared for his daughter Meketaten preserve the haunting scene of the royal couple mourning her. Visiting it adds about two hours.

On the plain, the most legible remains are the Small Aten Temple, where the Amarna Project has rebuilt column bases and the outline of the sanctuary to show its scale, the outline of the Great Aten Temple, and the North Palace with its courtyards. The famous bust of Nefertiti was found in 1912 in a sculptor's workshop in the southern part of the city; see our Nefertiti guide for its story.

Boundary stelae

Akhenaten marked out his city with large inscribed stelae carved into the cliffs on both sides of the river, and two are within reach of visitors. On the east bank, one stela near the southern end can be visited with your guide when access allows. On the west bank, the best preserved is near Tuna el-Gebel, with figures of the king, queen and daughters cut alongside it, and it fits easily into a visit there.

Getting there and planning the day

Visit from a base in Minya: drive about an hour south to Deir Mawas on the west bank, cross the Nile on a small vehicle ferry, then tour the east bank by car. The sites are spread out, so you drive between the Northern Tombs, the city, the Southern Tombs and the Royal Tomb. A sensible plan is to leave Minya around 7am, see the Northern Tombs first while it is cool, the city and Small Aten Temple next, and the Southern Tombs after lunch, adding the Royal Tomb if time allows.

Minya is about 3.5–4 hours south of Cairo by road. Many history-focused itineraries combine two nights there with Beni Hasan and Tuna el-Gebel; our Middle Egypt guide explains the region.

Tickets, safety and practical tips

Amarna has its own antiquities tickets, often split between the main area and the Royal Tomb; check current tickets and opening times on egymonuments.gov.eg or with us.

Middle Egypt carries its own travel advice, which can differ from Cairo or Luxor. Read Smartraveller (or SafeTravel for New Zealanders) before booking and again before you travel, and check that your insurance covers the itinerary. Police escorts and checkpoints may apply, so build in extra time; your guide and driver handle the arrangements.

• Bring a torch, a hat, sturdy shoes and more water than you think. There is little shade and few facilities.
• Photography rules inside tombs can change; ask before taking out a camera.
• Travel with an Egyptologist who knows the site: signage is minimal and the scenes need interpreting.