Supporting the Amarna Project

The ancient Egyptian city of Tell el-Amarna (or simply Amarna) was the short-lived capital built by the ‘heretic’ Pharaoh Akhenaten and abandoned shortly after his death (c. 1332 BCE). It was here that he pursued his vision of a society dedicated to the cult of one god, the power of the sun (the Aten). As well as this historic interest Amarna remains the largest readily accessible living-site from ancient Egypt. It is thus simultaneously the key to a chapter in the history of religious experience and to a fuller understanding of what it was like to be an ancient Egyptian. There is no other site like it.

The Amarna Project has developed from a long-running archaeological excavation carried out under the auspices of the Egypt Exploration Society, under permits from the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt. Over the years the remit of the Project has extended to include repairs to ancient buildings, improvements to visitor access, creation of a visitor centre and perhaps, beyond this, a site museum.

Archaeology, although more popular than ever before, nevertheless attracts limited public expenditure. Despite the contributions made by the Supreme Council of Antiquities in administering the site, much that needs to be done can only by achieved by outside support. It is to help channel support to the Amarna Project that the Amarna Trust has been set up, a charity registered with the Charity Commission of the United Kingdom.