Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth

1985 novel by Naguib Mahfouz

Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth
1985 Arabic edition
Author	Naguib Mahfouz
Original title	العائش فى الحقيقة
Translator	Tagreid Abu-Hassabo
Cover artist	Eric Fuentecilla
Language	Arabic
Genre	Historical Novel
Publisher	Columbia University Press (hb) & Bantam Doubleday Dell (pb) (both translations)
Publication date	1985 (translation 1998)
Publication place	Egypt
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages	180 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.

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

Plot summary

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

The High Priest of Amun
Ay, Akhenaten's teacher and counselor
Haremhab, chief of security
Bek, sculptor
Tadukhipa, daughter of Tushratta, concubine of Amenhotep III
Toto, chief epistoler
Tey, Ay's wife
Mutnedjmet, Ay's second daughter and Nefertiti's sister.
Meri-Ra, High Priest of the One and Only God
Mae, commander of the armed forces
Maho, chief of police
Nakht, minister of Akhenaten's chamber
Bento, Akhenaten's personal physician
Nefertiti, Ay's first daughter and Akhenaten's wife

External links

v t e Works by Naguib Mahfouz
Cairo Trilogy	Palace Walk (1956) Palace of Desire (1957) Sugar Street (1957)
Other novels	Khufu's Wisdom (1939) Rhadopis of Nubia (1943) Thebes at War (1944) Midaq Alley (1947) The Mirage (1948) The Beginning and the End (1949) Children of Gebelawi (1959) The Thief and the Dogs (1961) Autumn Quail (1962) The Search (1964) The Beggar (1965) Adrift on the Nile (1966) Miramar (1967) Mirrors (1972) Love in the Rain (1973) Karnak Café (1974) The Harafish (1977) Wedding Song (1981) Arabian Nights and Days (1982) The Journey of Ibn Fattouma (1983) The Day the Leader Was Killed (1983) Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth (1985) The Coffeehouse (1988)
Short stories	"Zaabalawi" (1961) "Qismati and Nasibi" (1982)
Story collections	Whisper of Madness (1947) God's World (1962) A Story Without a Beginning or an Ending (1971) The Crime (1973) Stories from Our Neighbourhood (1975)
Screenplays	The Adventures of Antar and Abla (1948) Your Day Will Come (1951) The Monster (1954) The Tough (1957) The Barred Road (1958) Jamila, the Algerian (1958) Between Heaven and Earth (1959) Allahu Akbar (1959) The Choice (1970)
Adaptations	The Beginning and the End (1960) Chased by the Dogs (1962) Saladin the Victorious (1963) Cairo 30 (1966) Khan El Khalili (1967) Chitchat on the Nile (1971) Karnak (1975) The Guilty (1975) The Beginning and the End (1993) Midaq Alley (1995)

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