King Ay: The Mysterious Pharaoh Who Ruled After Tutankhamun

After the death of Tutankhamun, Ay who held a high office became pharaoh. He ruled for a short period at the end of the 18th Dynasty and played a key role in restoring traditional Egyptian religion after the Amarna Period. His origins are debated, but he may have been connected to Nefertiti. Ay built important monuments and a royal tomb which exists in the Valley of the Kings despite his short time on the throne.

King Ay

Ay is one of the most intriguing figures of ancient Egypt’s late 18th Dynasty. Unlike most pharaohs who inherited the throne through royal lineage, Ay rose to power from within the royal court.

He served as a high official during the reigns of several rulers, including Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. His long career gave him significant experience and influence, which ultimately helped him become king. Ay’s reign came at a time when Egypt was recovering from the religious and political upheaval of the Amarna Period. His leadership helped continue the restoration of traditional beliefs and institutions.

The End of the 18th Dynasty

The late 18th Dynasty experienced significant changes in both religious practices and political systems. Akhenaten’s rule established a new religious system which dedicated worship to the Aten instead of existing gods. The changes created institutional disruptions which resulted in diminished power for the religious authorities. Egypt experienced a transforming period which began after Akhenaten passed away.

King Ay Origin

King Ay is believed to have been from Akhmim. During his short reign, he built a rock-cut chapel in Akhmim and dedicated it to the local deity Min. He may have been the son of the courtier Yuya and his wife Thuya, making him a brother of Tiye and Anen. This connection is based on the fact that both Yuya and Ay came from Akhmim and held the titles ‘God’s Father’ and ‘Master of Horses’.

A strong physical resemblance has been noted between the mummy of Yuya and surviving statuary depictions of Ay. The mummy of Ay has not been located, although fragmentary skeletal remains recovered from his tomb may represent it, so a more thorough comparison with Yuya cannot be made. Therefore, the theory that he was the son of Yuya rests entirely on circumstantial evidence.

Ay’s Great Royal Wife was Tey, who was known to be the wet-nurse to Nefertiti. It is often theorised that he was the father of Nefertiti as a way to explain his title ‘God’s Father’ as it has been argued that the term designates a man whose daughter married the king. However, nowhere in the surviving records are Ay and Tey referred to as the parents of Nefertiti.

Nakhtmin, Ay’s chosen successor, was likely his son or grandson. Nakhtmin’s mother was Iuy, a priestess of Min and Isis in Akhmim. She may have been Ay’s first wife.

Ay’s Role Before Becoming Pharaoh

King Ay’s functions at the Egyptian court extended beyond his time as pharaoh. His most important title was “God’s Father” which probably showed his close ties with the royal family.

He worked as a top advisor to Tutankhamun while also fulfilling his duties as a teacher. His administrative and religious knowledge made him a crucial leader during the period of organizational change.

King Ay strengthened his power through his participation in traditional religious restoration work. His backing of traditional beliefs aligned him with major religious powers. His experience and power together formed the foundation which led to his future ascension as king.

Ay as a vizier 

King Ay served as vizier to at least two pharaohs, Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. He may have also served as vizier to the pharaohs reigning between those two, Smenkhare and Neferneferuaten.

Reign of Akhenaten

Akhenaten

All that is known for certain was that by the time he was permitted to build a tomb for himself (Southern Tomb 25) at Amarna during the reign of Akhenaten, he had achieved the title of “Overseer of All the Horses of His Majesty”, the highest rank in the elite charioteering division of the army, which was just below the rank of General. Before this promotion he appears to have been first a Troop Commander and then a “regular” Overseer of Horses, titles which were found on a box thought to have been part of the original furnishings for his tomb.

Other titles listed in this tomb include Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King, Acting Scribe of the King, beloved by him, and God’s Father. The ‘Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King’ was a very important position, and is viewed as showing that the bearer had the ‘ear’ of the ruler. The final God’s Father title is the one most associated with King Ay, and was later incorporated into his royal name when he became pharaoh.

This title could mean that he was the father-in-law of the pharaoh, suggesting that he was the son of Yuya and Thuya, thus being a brother or half-brother of Tiye, brother-in-law to Amenhotep III and the maternal uncle of Akhenaten. Instead, the title may indicate that Ay was the tutor of Tutankhamun. If Ay was the son of Yuya, who was a senior military officer during the reign of Amenhotep III, then he likely followed in his father’s footsteps, finally inheriting his father’s military functions upon his death.

Alternatively, it could also mean that he may have had a daughter who married the pharaoh Akhenaten, possibly being the father of Akhenaten’s chief wife Nefertiti. Ultimately there is no evidence to definitively prove either hypothesis. The two theories are not mutually exclusive, but either relationship would explain the exalted status to which Ay rose during Akhenaten’s Amarna interlude, when the royal family turned their backs on Egypt’s traditional gods and experimented, for a dozen years or so, with an early form of monotheism; an experiment that, whether out of conviction or convenience, Ay appears to have followed under the reign of Akhenaten.

The Great Hymn to the Aten is also found in his Amarna tomb which was built during his service under Akhenaten. His wife Tey was born a commoner but was given the title Nurse of the Pharaoh’s Great Wife. If she were the mother of Nefertiti she would be expected to have the royal title Mother of the Pharaoh’s Great Wife instead; had Ay been the father of Nefertiti, then Tey would have been her stepmother.

In several Amarna tomb chapels there is a woman whose name begins with “Mut” who had the title Sister of the Pharaoh’s Great Wife. This could also be a daughter of Ay by his wife Tey, and it is known that his successor Horemheb married a woman with the name Mutnodjimet.

Reign of Neferneferuaten

It is generally thought that Queen Neferneferuaten ruled independently after the death of Smenkhare. Although there is no explicit evidence to confirm that Ay was the vizier during the reign of Pharaoh Neferneferuaten, there is also no evidence suggesting that Ay was relieved of his viziership position under either of her immediate predecessors, Akhenaten or Smenkhare.

Reign of Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun

It is generally presumable that Ay retained his post as vizier from his original appointment during Akhenaten’s government, all the way through the reign of Tutankhamun. This reign is most notably marked by the restoration of the original ancient Egyptian religion, especially the restoration of the power of the Amun priesthood, who had lost their influence over Egypt under Akhenaten.

Egyptologist Bob Brier suggested that Ay murdered Tutankhamun to usurp the throne, a claim which was based on X-ray examinations of the body done in 1968. He also alleged that Ankhesenamun and the Hittite prince she was about to marry were also murdered at his orders.

This murder theory was not accepted by all scholars, and further analysis of the X-rays, along with CT scans taken in 2005, found no evidence to suggest that Tutankhamun died from a blow to the head as Brier had theorized. The cause of Tutankhamun’s demise is still an open problem in Egyptology, and Bob Brier still maintains the plausibility of Ay’s treasonous conspiratorial plotting, despite the physical cause of death Brier hypothesized being discounted.

A wall of Tutankhamun’s burial chamber depicts Ay at the burial of Tutankhamun. The explicit depiction of a succeeding king conducting the “Opening of the Mouth” ceremony of another is unique; the depictions are usually more generic.

The Accession of King Ay

King Ay became pharaoh after the death of Tutankhamun who died at a young age without a clear heir. His accession to the throne may have involved political manoeuvring. Some evidence suggests that he married Tutankhamun’s widow Ankhesenamun to legitimize his claim.

Once king Ay adopted full royal titles and was depicted in traditional pharaonic imagery. These actions established his power as king while he continued the royal customs from earlier rulers.

His rise shows that ancient Egyptian power sometimes passed to people who used political abilities instead of coming from royal lineage.

The Reign of King Ay

The short reign of King Ay which lasted only three years proved essential for establishing stability in Egypt.

He maintained the restoration efforts which Tutankhamun initiated by providing financial support to temples and other religious institutions that served traditional deities.

Ay commanded construction work to start multiple projects which only a small number of built structures remain standing today. His primary goal seemed to be maintaining stability across his territory instead of launching major expansion efforts. The short duration of his rule enabled him to implement actions which created pathways for his successor to follow.

Succession of King Ay

Before his death, King Ay attempted to sideline Horemheb from the royal succession. Horemheb, who was the general in charge of Egypt’s armies and previously held the title of Iry-pat or “Hereditary Prince” under Tutankhamun, was replaced in the succession by General Nakhtmin under king Ay. In fact, two separate men were designated Iry-pat or “Hereditary Prince” under Ay’s short reign namely: Nay and Nakhtmin.

1- Nay Iry-pat

“Nay built his TT271 tomb at the hill of Qurnat Murai, facing Ay’s mortuary temple at Medinet Habu where he holds the titles of: “chief physician”, “chamberlain”, “overseer of the King’s private apartment”, and “fan bearer on the right of the king”, suggesting that he was the highest palace official under King Ay. Moreover, King Ay promoted Nay not only to “Hereditary Prince”, but also to “great chief in the entire land”, “scribe of the elite troops”, and “chief spokesman in the entire land”, indicating that he [Nay] outranked all other officials under the king. In fact, these titles were previously held by Horemheb during Tutankhamun’s reign.

2- Nakhtmin Iry-pat

In contrast, the case of general Nakhtmin is quite different than that of Nay. “Nakhtmin was a general, probably a subordinate of Horemheb in the military under Tutankhamun, but he had also a close relation to Ay. He is known to have dedicated five shabtis to Tutankhamun’s funerary equipment. On these shabtis, he was called “General” and “fan bearer on the right of the king”.

Ay’s succession plans went awry, as Horemheb became the last king of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty instead of Nakhtmin. The fact that Nakhtmin was Ay’s intended political heir is strongly implied by an inscription carved on a dyad funerary statue of Nakhtmin and his spouse which was presumably made during Ay’s reign. Nakhtmin is clearly given the titles “Crown Prince” and “King’s Son”. The only conclusion which can be drawn here is that Nakhtmin was either a son or an adopted son of Ay’s, and that Ay was grooming Nakhtmin for the royal succession instead of Horemheb.

Relationship with Horemheb

King Horemheb

Horemheb represents one of the key figures who established connections with Ay. Horemheb started his career as a military leader before he became pharaoh after Ay passed away.

The two men share a connection that researchers have not yet completely explained. Some evidence suggests that Horemheb may have been designated as Ay’s successor, while other interpretations indicate possible tension.

Horemheb used his royal power to eliminate all traces of the Amarna Period together with its associated leaders who included Ay.

The present-day understanding of Ay exists because this particular action has restricted all available information about him.

The Death of King Ay

The period of King Ay’s rule ended after his death which occurred because of natural causes that resulted from his advanced age. His death marked the end of his rule and the transition to Horemheb’s reign.

Horemheb became the next pharaoh because there were no direct heirs to the throne and he proceeded to restore Egypt’s traditional order.

Ay’s Tomb in the Valley of the Kings

Burial chamber and Sarcophagus of Ay in WV23

King Ay was buried in tomb WV23 which exists in the Valley of the Kings. The tomb demonstrates important information about his kingship and the artistic techniques which were used during that era.

The tomb decoration displays both afterlife scenes and conventional religious scripture. The artwork displays Amarna artistic style elements which demonstrate an artistic fusion of historical and contemporary styles.

The tomb has lost its original contents through ancient looting yet the site holds essential elements which enable historians to study Ay’s rule.

Legacy of King Ay

The legacy of the King Ay developed through his work on transitional processes and restoration projects. The Amarna Period ended with his short reign which created a stable period for Egypt.

His ascent to pharaoh status from a court official position shows how ancient Egyptian power systems allowed for movement between different social classes.

His significance to Egyptian history remains clear through modern research which has attempted to reduce his historical importance.

Conclusion

King Ay stands as a unique figure in ancient Egypt. He rose to the position of pharaoh after starting his career as a court official during a time of major historical change.

His reign brought back traditional religious practices which restored stability to the kingdom after it had undergone multiple shifts. King Ay established himself as an important historical figure even though more renowned rulers received greater recognition.