15 Interesting Facts about Tutankhamun

Want to know more about Tutankhamun? Here are 15 Interesting Facts about Tutankhamun that you probably didn’t know before reading this!

Tutankhamun, also known as King Tut is one of the most famous Egyptian Pharaohs of all time, and he’s been an interesting character to learn more about ever since I was a kid and became fascinated by Ancient Egypt.

To make things even more fun, I want to give you a challenge. How many of these Tutankhamun facts do you already know? Share your result in the comment section!

His original name was Tutankhaten

This is perhaps one of the most surprising facts about Tutankhamun that many don’t know about. His birth name was actually Tutankhaten, which means “the living image of Aten”.

After taking power, he changed his name to Tutankhamun, which means “the living image of Amun”. Amun is the ancient Egyptian god of the sun and air and was considered one of the most important gods at the beginning of the New Kingdom

Photo: alexandersr / Shutterstock.com

He became a Pharao at the age of nine

Tutankhamun is one of the youngest known pharaohs of all time and descended to power at the age of 9 after his father’s death.

During his reign, he restored much of the religious order that his father had tried to change. He brought back the Egyptian gods and even tried to restore some of the foreign relationships that Akhenaten had neglected during his reign.

Tutankhamun Married One Of His Half Sisters

Marrying your sister or brother is not something that is a common practice in modern times, but in Ancient Egypt, this practice was not uncommon since they believed that they kept the bloodline pure and royal this way.

Several of the Egyptian Pharaohs married their siblings and had several children with them, and King Tut was not an exception. He married his sister Ankhesenamun, who conceived two daughters that were stillborn.

Photo: Stumblearound Photography/Shutterstock

Howard Carter discovered his tomb in 1922

The tomb of Tutankhamun was likely undisturbed for around 3000 years before Howard Carter discovered it in 1922. It’s one of the most intact royal tombs in all of Ancient Egypt, and thousands of artifacts were found in King Tut’s tomb.

The tomb of Tutankhamun can be visited in Luxor

The tomb of Tutankhamun is the smallest royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and the reason for this is still unknown. A common theory is that they didn’t have time to plan his burial site since he died suddenly from an accident.

Today, it’s possible to go inside and visit the tomb of Tutankhamun in Luxor. The mummy of King Tut has previously been displayed in various museums around the world.

Photo: Nick Brundle / Shutterstock.com

Boy King and King Tut are two of his nicknames

There’s a saying that a dear child has many names, and this might very well be true when it comes to Tutankhamun, who was born as Tutankhaten. The Boy King and King Tut are two of the most common nicknames for the famous young Pharao.

Tutankhamun’s mask was made of 22 pounds of gold

His golden mask is one of the most impressive findings from the times of Ancient Egypt, and it was made from 22 pounds of gold. The Mask of Tutankhamun is displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Photo: Shutterstock

The mummified King Tut has no heart

According to Ancient Egyptian belief, the heart was the most important organ to carry with you in the afterlife. The brain was not considered important at the time, so it’s quite a mystery that King Tut’s heart is missing.

The reason for this is still unknown, but one theory might be that he was far away from home when he died. There are several anomalies when it comes to the mummification and tomb of Tutankhamun, one such is the thick layer of black liquid that his coffin was covered in.

Some Egyptologists suggest that it was an attempt to make him appear as Osiris, the god of the underworld.

Some 5000 objects were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun

The tomb of King Tut housed thousands of artifacts, and some of the most famous objects that were found are the golden burial mask, statue of Anubis, Solar scarab pendant, his golden fan, the royal chariot, a game of senet just to mention a few items.

It took 10 years to catalog all of the 5000 objects found in the tomb, which is one of the most important archeological findings in human history.

Photo: Mirko Kuzmanovic / Shutterstock.com

The cause of King Tut’s death is unknown

It can be quite difficult to determine the cause of death, even in modern times, and even harder when it comes to examining a 3000-years old mummy. Egyptologists long believed that King Tutankhamun was murdered, but after a CT scan of the mummy, this theory was disproved.

The most likely cause of death is due to a broken leg. But it’s still unknown if this was the ultimate reason to Tutankhamun’s death. There are no written records mentioning how he died, and his body has several damages.

It is believed that King Tut died suddenly and was buried quickly.

5 x Tutankhamun facts for kids

His coffin weighs around 110.4 kilos and measures 1.88 meters in length
He was an Egyptian Pharao between 1334 and 1325 BC
Tutankhamun died at just the age of 18
The burial site has been named KV62, which stands for the 62nd tomb found in the Valley of the Kings
The artifacts of King Tut are normally displayed in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo

Photo: Orhan Cam / Shutterstock.com

General facts about Tutankhamun

Type of person: Egyptian Pharao
Reign: c. 1334 – 1325 BC, New Kingdom (18th Dynasty)
Predecessor: Neferneferuaten
Successor: Ay
Born: c. 1342 BC
Died: c. 1325 BC
Father: Akhenaten
Mother: The Younger Lady
Partner: Ankhesenamun (his half-sister)
Children: Two stillborn daughters

Frequently asked questions about King Tut

What was Tutankhamun famous for?

The biggest reason for the young pharao’s fame is due to a large number of artifacts found in his tomb. It’s one of few royal tombs from the times of Ancient Egypt that hasn’t been plundered.

His golden mask is another reason for the fame as well as his young age of becoming a pharao as well as young age of death.

Photo: Gabriela Beres / Shutterstock.com

How did Tutankhamun die?

It was long believed that King Tutankhamun was murdered, but this theory was disproved by a CT scan of the mummy. The most likely cause of death was due to a broken leg according to leading Egyptologists.

What did Tutankhamun achieve?

Although Tutankhamun became a pharao at the age of nine, it is believed that for the first couple of years, it was actually Ay who was in control together with the military commander Horemheb.

He didn’t accomplish much during his relatively short reign of 10 years, but he did restore the old religious order that his father Akhenaten had neglected. The young King Tut also sought to improve and restore the relationship with the kingdom’s neighbors as well.

Who is King Tut’s mother?

Tutankhamun’s mother is identified via DNA tests and named as The Younger Lady. She was the spouse of Akhenaten, and some speculations say that this might be the remains of Queen Nefertiti, but it could also be his other wife Kiya.