Amun

Amun, also written Amon or Amen, was a major ancient Egyptian deity whose name means "the Hidden One." He began as a local god of Thebes but rose to national prominence in the Middle Kingdom and became the head of the Theban triad, with Mut as his consort and Khonsu as their son.

During the New Kingdom, Amun's cult at the temple complex of Karnak in Thebes grew into one of Egypt's most powerful religious institutions. The god was often described as king of the gods, and the priesthood accumulated significant wealth and influence. Thebes served as his principal cult center, and the annual Opet Festival celebrated the divine marriage of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu as the king’s divine legitimacy and renewal.

Amun is frequently associated with the sun god Ra, and from the New Kingdom onward he was increasingly worshipped as Amun-Ra, a composite deity that fused hidden power with solar vitality. In art, he is typically shown as a bearded man wearing a tall, double-plumed crown or as a ram-headed form; he is also depicted enthroned and holding symbols such as the ankh and staff. The Theban triad—Amun, Mut, and Khonsu—remained central to his worship.

Beyond Thebes, the cult of Amun spread throughout Egypt, influencing royal ideology and temple-building. In the later periods, Amun came to be identified with Greek Zeus (as Zeus-Ammon) during the Hellenistic and Roman eras. The Karnak temple complex remains a primary source for understanding the god’s extensive worship and its political and religious role in ancient Egypt.