Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth

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Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth
AkhenatenDwellerInTruth.jpg
1985 Arabic edition
Author Naguib Mahfouz
Original titleالعائش فى الحقيقة
Translator Tagreid Abu-Hassabo
Cover artist Eric Fuentecilla
Country Egypt
Language Arabic
GenreHistorical Novel
Publisher Columbia University Press (hb) & Bantam Doubleday Dell (pb) (both translations)
Publication date
1985 (translation 1998)
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages180 p. (hardback edition) & 168 p. (paperback edition)
ISBN 977-424-470-2
OCLC 47900047

Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth is a novel written and published by Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz in 1985. It was translated from Arabic into English in 1998 by Tagreid Abu-Hassabo.

Contents

The form and subject of the book is the basis for a cello concerto of the same title by Mohammed Fairouz.

Plot summary

Pharaoh Akhenaten Pharaoh Akhenaten.jpg
Pharaoh Akhenaten

On the way from Sais to Panopolis with his father, the scribe Meriamun points out the ruins of Akhetaten, the city that the "heretic pharaoh" Akhenaten built for his One and Only God. Seeking a balanced perspective on the events of that time, which split Egypt politically and religiously, Meriamun gets a letter of introduction from his father to many members of Akhenaten's court, among them the High Priest of Amun, his chief of security Haremhab, and his queen Nefertiti. Each tale adds a new dimension to the enigma that is Akhenaten and the thoughts of those that were close to him allow Meriamun and the reader to judge for themselves whether Akhenaten was a power politician or a true believer.

Characters


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