Even people, who have never walked on the hot sands of Africa and never touched the waters of the Red Sea, will call Cairo the capital of Egypt and the pyramids its main sights. And only experienced tourists know perfectly well that going on a long trip to such ancient States as Egypt, Italy, or Greece, it is worth visiting the capitals of ancient empires, not modern countries. A rich history and culture was originated there, great pharaohs were ruling, and oracles were predicting the future. Many things have been preserved to this day and tell secrets of eternity to people. 

The period of the highest flourishing of Ancient Egypt is considered the era of the New Kingdom, the reign of the most magnificent dynasties, from which the present world got most of the heritage of the ancient civilization of the Egyptian pharaohs. The magnificent capital of this Kingdom called Akhetaton was located only a few kilometers from the modern city of El Minya. Its name meant the horizon of Aton, the Sun God, whose cult was proclaimed by the pharaoh of the Akhenaten XVIII dynasty, also known as Amenhotep IV, the spouse of the legendary Queen Nefertiti and the father of the famous pharaoh Tutankhamun.

He founded the beautiful city in 1346 BC. It existed for about 15 years, until his death. At the end of the 18th century, the city was discovered by soldiers of the French emperor Napoleon during the Egyptian expedition. The most preserved of the ancient cities of this dynasty consists of an impressive Royal Palace, a temple called the House of the Sun, smaller palaces for nobles, numerous tombs, and an immense archive. About 400 clay tablets with messages between Akhenaten, his father Amenhotep III, and other kings. Here, you can also see their sculptural portraits, as well as Queen Nefertiti and her daughters. Wall and floor paintings, reliefs of the royal family life scenes, and many open altars have been perfectly preserved to these days.