Akhet
Akhet is an Egyptian symbol that represents the sun rising over a mountain. When the sun appeared on the horizon at dawn, it was recognized as a sign of rebirth and renewal and a triumph over darkness. The heretic king Akhenaten believed the akhet appeared on the horizon to show him where to build Akhet-Aten, his new city in the desert. It is translated as "horizon" or "the place in the sky where the sun rises".
Akhet appears in the Egyptian name for the Great Pyramid of Giza (Akhet Khufu), and in the assumed name of Akhetaten, the city founded by pharaoh Akhenaten. It also appears in the name of the syncretized form of Ra and Horus, Ra-Horakhty . In ancient Egyptian architecture, the pylon mirrored the hieroglyph. The symbol is sometimes connected with the Egyptian deity Aker and the astrological sign of Libra.
Akhet appears in the Egyptian name for the Great Pyramid of Giza (Akhet Khufu), and in the assumed name of Akhetaten, the city founded by pharaoh Akhenaten. It also appears in the name of the syncretized form of Ra and Horus, Ra-Horakhty . In ancient Egyptian architecture, the pylon mirrored the hieroglyph. The symbol is sometimes connected with the Egyptian deity Aker and the astrological sign of Libra.
Akhet meaning
This word has two meanings in ancient Egypt:-
- Akhet, the season of the flood in the ancient Egyptian calendar
- Akhet, a hieroglyph symbol
The exact spot on the horizon where Nut, the sky goddess, gives birth to Re the sun god each morning. Egyptian mythology relates that at the end of each day, when the sun set, the sun god traveled through the 12 hours of night, crossing the Underworld.
Akhet is the hieroglyph for horizon, and the word akhet is also the name of one of the three seasons in the ancient Egyptian calendar. It was the first season after the Egyptian new year and corresponds with our month of July.
Akhet is the hieroglyph for horizon, and the word akhet is also the name of one of the three seasons in the ancient Egyptian calendar. It was the first season after the Egyptian new year and corresponds with our month of July.
Amulets in the shape of the akhet represented Re the sun god and provided powerful protection to the wearer. Akhet amulets are almost always redcarved from carnelian or made of red glass or faience.