Akhenaten, also spelled Akhenaton or Ikhnaton, and also known as Amenhotep IV, was a pharaoh of Egypt's 18th Dynasty, reigning from approximately 1353–1336 or 1351–1334 BC. He is known for his religious revolution, artistic innovations, and the founding of a new capital city.

• Parents: Son of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and his principal wife Tiye.
• Siblings: Had an elder brother, Thutmose, who died young, and several sisters.
• Wives: Married to Nefertiti, his Great Royal Wife, and possibly Kiya.
• Children: He had at least six daughters with Nefertiti, including Meritaten, Meketaten, and Ankhesenpaaten (later Ankhesenamun). Tutankhaten (later Tutankhamun) was likely his son.

• Atenism: Akhenaten is noted for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism and introducing Atenism, the worship of the Aten (the sun disk) as the supreme or sole god. He saw the Aten as the prime mover of life.
• Name Change: In his fifth regnal year, he changed his name from Amenhotep IV ("Amun is satisfied") to Akhenaten ("Effective for the Aten").
• Suppression of Traditional Gods: He proscribed the old gods, especially Amun, and ordered the closure of their temples and the removal of their images.
• Akhetaten (Amarna): He moved the capital from Thebes to Akhetaten ("Horizon of the Aten"), now known as Amarna, a new city dedicated to the Aten.

• Amarna Art: Akhenaten's reign saw a revolutionary change in Egyptian art.
• Depiction of the Aton: The Aton was depicted as a sun disk with rays ending in hands.
• Royal Family Depictions: The royal family was portrayed with elongated features, such as skulls, necks, arms, and spindly legs, as well as exhibiting intimate moments.
• Realism: The art of the Amarna period is noted for its departure from traditional idealism, with more realistic and informal depictions of the royal family.
• Talatat Blocks: Temples were constructed using smaller, easily moved blocks called talatat.

• Amarna Letters: The Amarna Letters, diplomatic correspondence from the period, reveal details of Akhenaten's foreign policy.
• Neglect of Foreign Policy: Akhenaten has been criticized for neglecting foreign policy and focusing on his religious reforms, leading to instability in Egypt's territories.
• Rise of the Hittites: The Amarna Letters show the growing power of the Hittite Empire and Egypt's waning influence in the region.

• Rejection of Akhenaten: After his death, traditional religious practices were restored, and Akhenaten was denounced as a heretic.
• Destruction of Monuments: His monuments were dismantled, his statues destroyed, and his name excluded from official king lists.
• Rediscovery: Akhenaten was largely lost to history until the 19th-century discovery of Amarna.
• Influence on Monotheism (Speculative): Some scholars suggest that Akhenaten's monotheistic ideas influenced later religious thought.

• Nefertiti: Akhenaten's chief wife, who played a prominent role in his religious revolution. Some scholars believe she may have ruled as pharaoh after Akhenaten's death.
• Tutankhamun: Akhenaten's son (likely) and successor, who restored the traditional religion.
• Ay: A vizier during Akhenaten's reign who later became pharaoh.
• Horemheb: A general who became pharaoh and attempted to erase Akhenaten from history.