Only Akhenaten and Nefertiti are authorized to worship the rising sun every morning and to travel to the Great Temple by chariot from their private palace. The ceremony consists of consecrating a large amount of offerings that are piled up on outdoor altars. These offerings are essentially of two types:

food offerings made in large quantity and scattered over hundreds of altars. Indeed, we have seen that Amarna afterlife takes place on the site of Akhetaten, so you have to fill the Bas of the deceased. Ironically, it is at the moment that the anthropomorphic /zoomorphic gods, who were likely to eat the offered food, disappear in favor of the disk, that the food offerings are particularly important ().

Rites of lotus offerings, though rarely reported in the literature are nevertheless characteristic of the period (for example on this ). We saw that Akhenaten refused nocturnal fate for the sun, which therefore no longer performs a complete circle around creation, but a half circle as proclaimed in the hymns to the Aten; when the sun goes down, the earth is immersed in darkness and everything in it is as if dead. Hence the idea of ​​using the lotus as a symbol of rebirth: it sinks under water every night and opens up above it again every morning in perpetual rebirth.  A common scene is also the offering to the Aten of cartouches containing his name or that of the king and queen. During this time, the priests and even the High Priest of the Aten, are prostrate before the royal couple who have became a tangible divinity. Musicians accompany the celebration (we discuss the music below).

Akhenaten encouraged detailed and animated representation of all the scenes of daily life, including those in which he himself participated. Acts of everyday life of the royal couple (bathing, dressing, eating, drinking…) are ritualized, as the King and Queen have now taken the place of divine statues (which are proscribed, described as idols in worthless stone…).
Sometimes gestures of affection are represented between members of the royal family, for example in Huya’s tomb, Akhenaten holds the hand of Nefertiti () where Nefertiti turns tenderly to her husband, their two faces brushing together for a kiss, as in the tomb of Mahu. The significance of these affectionate gestures goes beyond the emotional and must also be seen as the political will to show the fecundity of the royal couple and their attention to having offspring.

This theme is always in the first room, in the tombs of Meryre, Huya, Ahmose, and of Pentu. Until the reign of Akhenaten, the deceased, sometimes with his wife, is represented rigid and static before a table of offerings, but he never consumes it.
During the Amarna period, everything changes: on the walls of tombs, the king is shown - and sometimes members of the royal family - seated or standing, eating and drinking. The seemingly trivial nature of these scenes should not mislead one: Akhenaten eating is Akhenaten making an offering to the Aten! As for the dead person, if he participates in these scenes it is as a servant, and is represented on a very small scale compared to members of the royal family. Thus, in the tomb of Huya there are two representations of the royal couple eating and drinking with the queen mother Tiy; Huya is represented as miniscule by the feet of Akhenaten (see opposite).

She is represented in the tombs of Ay, Parenefer, Panhesy, Tutu, and May. This person is likely the younger sister of Queen Nefertiti. She is called "Beneretmut" or "Mutnedjemet". She enjoys a very privileged place, as evidenced by marks of respect that surround her. She always appears in the King's train, near her sister Nefertiti and her nieces. She is followed by fan-bearers (men and women) and her two attendants, who are two dwarves named "Hemetnisuterneheh" and "Mutefpare"; curiously the ef refers to a male subject where one would expect the feminine dependent pronoun es
There is no formal proof, but collecting all the data together would fit seeing this young person as the lady Mutnedjemet who will be the second wife of the future pharaoh Horemheb.

1)- When they leave their residence to go visit temples or to another palace and return, the King and Queen travel by chariot along royal road, several kilometres long, escorted by fan-bearers, standard-bearers, servants… and also by police and the military (). This morning journey, north-south, considered as the earthly transposed journey of the east to west path of the Aten in the sky, was sacred and an integral part of worship at Amarna.
It has been shown (Gabolde) that few places are considered sacred, i.e. palaces, temples and roads connected to each other: they are the only places where Akhenaten and his family are represented.
These trips by chariot also allow a symbol dear to the sovereign to be highlighted: the movement. Akhenaten moves in his chariot, like the Aten in the sky, and brings the breath of life, as shown by ribbons floating behind him. In Atenist design, the world is not static, it is constantly changing; this constant transformation is powered by the living Aten.

The ceremonial journeys of the royal couple replace the movement of the divine statues during traditional festivals; for example there are analogies with the festival of the Opet at Thebes in which the divine statue of Amun travels a north-south path (Karnak Temple → Luxor Temple). The population cheered the sovereign like it cheered the statue of a god in his ceremonial boat: "He was the god that came out in procession, which carried signs and wonders which intervened in the destiny of the individual, holding life and death in his hands" (Jan Assmann) .
Incidentally any reference to water activities in the Amarna tombs disappears, as indeed in the new theology.

Having become the travel mode of elite society and a visible marker of it, the chariot is widespread in the Amarna tombs and is associated not just with the king and his family, but also with individuals. A Solar symbol, it can be simply gold coloured or plated with gold leaf. It plays an important role throughout the eighteenth dynasty in the process developing ruler heliocentralism and therefore it is logical that in the Amarna period, it is most frequently represented. A veritable mobile throne, it is a shared part of the iconography.
We note the importance given to the two horses (which often appear to be only one) harnessed to the royal chariot, and their very detailed harness, embellished with a tall feather adornment upon the head (). Horses are represented rearing to express their energy. The Royal team has a name: "Creature-of-Ankh-Re-Horakhty-who-is-jubilant-on-the-horizon-in-his-name-as-Shu-in-Aten" (!) .
Many individual horses are also present, but it is clear that the Egyptians were never really able to properly represent this animal belatedly brought into the country.

This is the most common scene in the Amarna tombs. It is found mostly on the west wall, to the right or left of the entrance.

The rewarding of deserving officials and dignitaries with gold necklaces "shebyu" began to be depicted in the middle of the eighteenth dynasty and lasted until the Ramesside period.
Before Akhenaten, the ceremony took place in the palace, in the throne room and with the Pharaoh sitting in a kiosk.
At Amarna, Akhenaten, often accompanied by Queen Nefertiti and the princesses, stands above the recipient, at the window of appearances, for a ceremony that takes place largely outdoors.

This is a new building that allows the king to present himself to his subjects in a way to impress their spirits.
A new form of royal representation, the window of appearances is only meaningful in the context of the theology of the Aten of which it represents one of the most characteristic architectural elements. It is found in Meryre’s tomb (twice), Panhesy’s and perhaps in the tombs of Meryre II, Huya, Pentu and Tutu.
As the Aten reveals himself to the king, the king reveals himself to his courtiers: there is a consubstantiality between sunrise and this appearance of Akhenaten. This solemn event requires a special setting, it will be at the window of appearances.

This structure has given rise to many debates among Egyptologists, both in its appearance and its situation as no such window could be identified on the site of el-Amarna. One only knows it from the representations contained in the tombs. Now these representations differ from each other and obey the laws of aspective (see above), which makes it more difficult for us to understand it. Moreover, architectural proportions are often distorted when the king is present; it is better appreciated when the window is empty.
It is believed today that there were at least two buildings that contained this type of development: the north river palace of the king and the royal house (King's House).
The reconstruction (drawing to the right, after Vomberg) is based on the representation contained in the tomb of Parennefer ().

From the window of appearances, Akhenaten, sometimes his Queen, or even princesses (), reclining on a red cushion decorated with geometric patterns, throw gold necklaces and jewelry to the recipient below in the court (who also receives many other things that are brought directly to him).
The official who receives the necklaces stands before the sovereign, both arms raised in jubilation (the gesture "hai" of the Parennefer image). Often he is also anointed with ointments and perfumes at the same time, which play a role in some ritual, but poorly understood. Gradually servants recover goods that have just been thrown down or contributed and arrange them in boxes or bags, as is well illustrated in from the tomb of Parennefer. The king may address the person with a speech, to which the latter responds by praising his sovereign.

Necklaces around his neck, the dignitary (who often wears a festive cone upon his head) then returns to be acclaimed by all his household and the crowd present; some spectators are dancing (), while others "smell the earth" before him, a gesture that one does not normally make in principle, save to a deity or the king ( et ). Then he leaves the scene in a chariot or on foot.

We understand that this ceremony has been particularly important at Amarna: Akhenaten is the supreme divine power on earth but also in the hereafter, since there is no judgment of the dead. Everything depends on the royal favour, as confirmed by the example of the stele Davies 1908 (CG 34177, JE 29748) of Any: Any, rewarded, departs on a chariot, golden necklaces around his neck, with this text: "May I come in peace as one honoured by the king. He gives me a good funeral, he makes me reach the state of being transfigured in peace". An almost identical text was found in the tomb of Huya.
Adhering to maat' (that is to say fulfilling the will of Akhenaten) and rectitude of conduct are essential ideals to meet daily in order to hope for a future in the afterlife.

In the tombs of Huya and Meryre II a depiction is known as the scene of receiving tributes, or hosting foreign people, which took place in year 12, second month of Peret, day 8, a date that can be considered as the apogee of the reign of Akhenaten.
The scene was grandiose and brought together three distinct protagonists.

First of all the representatives of all foreign nations known to the Egyptians, Asiatics, Libyans Aegeans, Nubians, prostrated in adoration, who crave peace and the breath of life (as in the tomb of Huya, see ) (upon tribute in general, see ).

Then the royal couple accompanied by their six daughters and ladies of the harem.

Finally, the spectators especially civil servants and courtiers, for whom this staging is intended. For it is above all a staged scene designed to exalt the royal omnipotence. It shows an idealized elite status that carries a political message: that despite setbacks in Asia, Egypt is still feared and respected.

And there is doubtless a second message, more subtle. One notes indeed in both cases, an almost complete superposition of the silhouettes of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, which leads a shift of royal duties to the Queen. Akhenaten becomes equivalent to the Aten and Nefertiti then occupies the space freed, assimilating some royal prerogatives.

Cyril Aldred describes year 12 year as the "year of wonders" for Akhenaten and Nefertiti. It is not known how they felt, but for Huya () and Meryre II, this reception of tribute is the most significant event of their careers (whether they possibly thus gave it an exaggerated importance, it is not known). The two men were involved, along with others, in the management of the property of the royal family and therefore probably the exchange of goods originating from the treasury. They certainly helped organize the event.
There remains the possibility that Meryre II has simply wanted to represent in his Chapel this scene present in Huya’s chapel and whose tomb is next to his…

Nowhere in Egypt, and at no other time, is there a military presence as important as at Amarna. The private palace of Akhenaten, which is located north of the site ("north river palace") is home to a large garrison who follow the sovereign in all his movements, a true praetorian guard.
There are military and police officials represented in all the tombs, often running along besides when they escort the royal chariot. Several barracks have been found on the site of Amarna. The head of the Medjay, Mahu, also plays a prominent role in the city. These Medjay form the elite troop of the Royal Guard, but also the police force of the desert; they are essentially archers from Lower Nubia.

Small scenes parallel to the main action scenes take place in adjoining buildings or courts. Some give an overview of popular musical activities such as drumming and street dancing, trumpets sounded to gather the troops together, or as the music that accompanies the festivals.

In the temples "one encounters musicians playing exclusively for the Aten, the disc of the sun. They are all older men, with shaven skulls and pleated robes, most seemingly blind. They sing, clap their hands and play upon the harp, occasionally the lute. The groups of musicians playing in the royal palace are quite different. Some of them are similar to those we used to see on private monuments before the Amarna revolution: they are groups of women in long dresses wearing scented ointment cones upon their heads, playing on a large arched harp, a long-necked lute, lyre, double oboe, or groups of men playing similar lutes and harps […] Lise Manniche".

The choir of blind men, clapping their hands and accompanied by a drum is only found in the Amarna period. Only Akhenaten had the right to communicate with the Aten, but these musicians can participate in the ritual because they are blind naturally or because they are blindfolded. Women musicians, on the other hand, on the model of Nefertiti, were allowed to see the king and sing for him.

All these are inscribed on the walls of private tombs. The only known occurrence of Great Hymn is in the tomb of Ay, while the Small Hymn comes in five versions in the tombs of Meryre, Any, Ipy, Tutu and Mahou. All the hymns use the first version of the canonical name of the Aten and were thus composed between year 5 and year 9 of the reign.
Their exact function is not entirely clear. The traditional interpretation that made them liturgical texts to be recited or chanted in temples is now demolished. For these hymns are addressed to Re-Horakhty, manifested in the Aten but also to Akhenaten and Nefertiti, mixing intimately divine praise and Atenist ideology. The content of the hymns does not differ, the Great Hymn is only more developed. Both types develop two main themes: the daily cycle of the sun god and the revelation of his son Akhenaten’s divinity. They are a transcript of the education provided by Akhenaten himself (whether he or his theologians have imagined it is an insoluble question).
It is difficult not to see in these hymns the mystical impetus of a visionary, but from another point of view, we are also in the presence of a closed theological-political programme, which prohibits glosses and other exegeses of which Egyptian thinkers were so fond.

Here is how one can summarize their content (after Pierre Grandet) :

Sunrise of the Aten that fills the universe of light and space under the control of Akhenaten. The god is far off, but his rays are upon the earth.

At sunset, everything falls asleep and the earth seems dead.

The following morning the earth revives, all beings are celebrating and going about their business.

The Aten is the creator of all things in the universe and provides for the needs of his creation.

The beneficial effect of the Aten, relayed by his son Akhenaten, justifies the cult which is a worship of thanksgiving.

At dawn, the rays of the Aten, the uncreated creator, fill the earth, animate beings and manifest the sovereignty of the God.

At night, the earth and all beings are in a state bordering on death.

At sunrise, life is reborn together with the worship at Akhetaton, the centre of the universe.

The Aten shapes Akhenaton in his image each day; only he knows the God. This one, the eternal Creator of heaven, contemplates his creation and sustains it with his rays. All beings, through their appropriate behaviour, praise him with thanksgiving.

During occupation period of the site two other cemeteries developed:

Located at the end of the Royal Wadi, 6 km in the desert east of the city, it has five tombs, all unfinished. The tomb of Akhenaten is the only one decorated. The king, his mother Tyi and three of his daughters were buried there. We will devote a special study to it: .

It was not until 2006 that Barry Kemp’s team finally located, near the southern tombs of the notables, a necropolis of the common people. Burials consist of simple graves without any clear alignment, dug in the ground, sometimes very narrow, and frequently covered with stones after the internment’ ().
The anthropological study of the skeletons (the bodies were not mummified) revealed a grim reality about the lives of ordinary residents of the city and shows a callousness by Akhenaten vis-à-vis his subjects, well away from the paternalistic image conveyed by the hymns to the Aten.
Foods that piled up on the tables of offerings to the Aten have certainly not benefited the common people: malnutrition is the rule, their food was insufficient in quantity and quality. In addition, the skeletons show lesions reflecting very hard physical work, with multiple fractures and extensive injuries of the spine, even amongst the very young. Their life rarely exceeded 35 years and 2/3 of the dead were under 20 years old.

This Damnatio Memoriae has particularly affected civilian tomb sites in Amarna.
As we know, the attacks against Akhenaten began in the reign of Horemheb. However, the bulk of the destruction dates to the Ramesside period: then the Egyptians wanted to eliminate all their history of Amarna period rulers (Akhenaten Smenkarê, Neferneferuaten, Tutankhamun and Ay). In the annals, one passes directly from the reign of Amenhotep III to that of Horemheb.
Akhenaten had to destroy the names of the gods - and especially that of Amun – in the monuments and tombs; his own cartouches and representations, as well as those of Nefertiti will also be deleted by Horemheb, and especially by Ramses II, while his city of Akhetaten will be totally dismantled.

Before the departure of the king and the court to Akhetaten (Amarna), we must remember that a certain number of tombs were laid out in Thebes, among which are the following: TT 55 (Ramose), TT 188 (Parennefer, who also has a tomb in Amarna), , TT 46 (Ramose), TT 136 (Ipy), . Their study displays the transition between the traditional style and the Amarna style.

Many officials exercised their office in Memphis (20 km from Cairo) - which has always remained the administrative capital of the country - and they have probably chosen the cemetery of this town, the site of Saqqara, for their tomb.
We are only just beginning to glimpse the immense size of the New Kingdom necropolis. By chance of the discoveries, the tombs from the Amarna period are the most numerous today ; they are located in two areas. Firstly, the cliffs of the Bubasteion, where the tomb of Maïa, the nurse of Tutankhamun, and that of Aper-el, a vizier of Akhenaten, were found. A second area is located near the Causeway of Unas, where were discovered before his accession to the throne, and that of , Treasurer of Tutankhamun, who is the same character as the May who owns TA14 tomb in Amarna.

Consideration should be given also to the remarks of Owen & Kemp: "It is a common view of the ancient Egyptians that preparing for death was an overriding priority, at least for their elite. But the way that they actually proceeded rather tempers this view. A fine tomb was not, in fact, made an absolute priority in the allocation of available resources, and the attempt to provide one was pursued with a good measure of wishful thinking."
It seems that, for many, a comfortable house was better than a beautiful tomb! This is true at Amarna as the number of large mansions in the City by far exceeds that of decorated tombs.