10 Facts About King Tut That You Might Not Know

King Tut was born in 1341 BC in Akhenaten, Egypt’s city of that time. He was popularly known as Tut but his colloquial name was Tutankhamun. He was the 12th pharaoh of the 18 Egyptian dynasties. He was not known to the world until his tomb was discovered by the British archaeologist named Howard Carter. 

Here’s a list of 10 facts about King Tut which you might not know.

1. King Tut’s Original Name Was Tutankhaten

Source = Nationalgeographic

King Tut’s original name was Tutankhaten which meant a ‘living image of Aten’. His father forced people to worship sun god Aten instead of god Amun. But when he came into power, he reversed his father's philosophy and opened temples of God Amun. He then changed his name from Tutankhamun which originally means ‘living image of Amun’.

2. King Tut Came Into Power As A Child

Source = Medium

King Tut was also known as Boy King, as he was just nine years old when he ascended the throne. Since he was small, he could only run Egypt by himself. He had two advisors named Horemheb and Ay who helped him rule. After the death of King Tut, his vizier Ay succeeded the throne.

3. King Tut Loved to Hunt Ostrich

Source = Pinimg

Ostrich was one of the most important birds of Egypt and  its feathers were prized as luxury items. Kings usually went for ostrich hunt in order to show that they have control on nature also. Tutankhamun was fan of ostrich feathers. These were discovered in his tomb and it was enough to prove his love for hunting ostriches.

4. King Tut Was The Last Ruler Of His Dynasty

Source = Cloudfront

King Tut was the last ruler of his dynasty. He did have a wife, who was his half-sister. Probably due to this, his daughters were stillborn. The bodies of the babies were mummified and were placed in the coffins found in his own tomb.

5. King Tut Does Not Have His Own Pyramid

Source = History

King Tutankhamun died suddenly and therefore, there was no time to build the pyramid. He was buried within 70 days of his death. He was buried in haste and the priest did not even perform the rituals properly. He was buried in the tomb which was against the norms for kings.

6. King Tut Died At The Age Of 18

Source = S-nbcnews

There are many rumors and stories related to the king’s demise. A plethora of reasons suggest the untimely demise of the pharaoh. A recent CT scan of the body revealed that the cause of the death was his broken leg. It might have got infected leading to the death of the king. This theory was supported by the evidence of buried sticks proving it to be true.

7. King Tut’s Tomb Was Discovered By Howard Carter

Source = Nationalgeographic

It was on November 4, 1922 when Howard Carter discovered the steps leading to the King Tut’s tomb. He found it very difficult to open it. He applied a lot of force but was unsuccessful. So he kept the coffin under the blazing sun hoping that it would melt but it did not. Finally, he decided to chisel off the resin which damaged the coffin as well as Tut’s body parts.

8. King Tut’s Tomb Was Believed To Be Cursed

Source = Mubi

When Carter reached the tomb of Tut, it was written that those who would disturb the eternal peace of the mummy shall face its wrath. After the expedition, many people died proving that the curse written at the entrance was correct.

9. King Tut Was Buried In The World’s Most Expensive Coffin

Source = Ancient-origins

The innermost coffin of the Tutankhamun was made up of the beaten gold whereas the other two coffins were made of wood but were covered with the gold sheets. If it will be scrapped out, it would be worth million dollars; but as it is Tut’s final resting place, it is priceless. (8.1)

10) King Tut’s Sandals had drawings

Source = Pinimg

King Tut’s sandals were found in the tomb featuring the drawings of his enemies on the sole. The placement of the king’s drawings was drawn on the soles so wherever he went, he trampled over his foes.

These are some facts about the most famous pharaoh of Egypt.