Small Aten Temple — Attraction in Al Minya

The Small Aten Temple, located in the ancient city of Akhetaten (modern-day Tell el-Amarna), was another significant religious structure built by Pharaoh Akhenaten during his reign in the 18th Dynasty, around 1346 BC. Unlike the Great Aten Temple, the Small Aten Temple was a more modest and compact structure dedicated to the worship of the sun god Aten, reflecting Akhenaten's religious reforms that centered around the exclusive veneration of Aten.

The Small Aten Temple was located on the northern side of Akhetaten and served as a place for daily offerings and rituals related to the worship of Aten. It had a simpler design compared to the Great Aten Temple, with an open-air sanctuary, reflecting the importance of sunlight in Aten worship. The temple included open courtyards, an altar for offerings, and several smaller rooms for storage and preparation of ritual items.

Despite its smaller size, the Small Aten Temple held religious significance and was part of Akhenaten's broader plan to establish the worship of Aten throughout his capital. Like the Great Aten Temple, it was abandoned after Akhenaten’s death when his religious reforms were reversed, and the capital was moved back to Thebes. Today, the Small Aten Temple remains an important archaeological site that offers insight into the religious practices during the reign...

Only the floor plan and reconstructed columns remain. If you are in the area it's certainly worth seeing but if you are short of time I'd focus on Tune el-Gebel and the cliff top tombs... and Akhenaten's tomb as...

Viel ist nicht übrig vom dem Tempel - oder der Stadt an sich. Selbst die beiden Säulen sind nicht original. Man merkt dass sich Touristen in der Regel nicht hier her verirren. Die Überreste lassen die Ausmaße der einstigen Stadt nur noch erahnen. Eine bedeutende Phase in der ägyptischen Geschichte von der leider nicht...