Tutankhamun

Hello! My name is Tutankhamun, but you might know me as King Tut. I lived in a beautiful land filled with sand called Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. I was a king, but we called our kings 'pharaohs'. I was a very special pharaoh because I became the ruler when I was only nine years old! Imagine being a king when you are still a boy. That is why so many people call me the 'Boy King'.

Being a pharaoh around the year 1332 BCE was a very big job, especially for a boy. Luckily, I had smart advisors who helped me make important choices. I wore amazing clothes and shiny jewelry made from gold and bright blue stones. I was also married to a lovely queen, and her name was Ankhesenamun. One of the most important things I did as king was to help my people go back to worshipping our old gods. One of our most important gods was Amun-Ra, the mighty sun god. We even moved our royal court back to the great city of Thebes, which made the people of Egypt very happy.

In ancient Egypt, we believed that we would have another life after this one. Because of this, pharaohs had special tombs built to keep everything we would need for the afterlife. My tomb was hidden away in a place called the Valley of the Kings. My time as pharaoh ended when I was about 19 years old, around the year 1323 BCE, so I did not get to be an old man. My body was placed inside my tomb along with all of my incredible treasures. There were golden chariots, games that I loved to play, statues of the gods, and my famous golden mask. After everything was placed inside, the door to my tomb was sealed shut.

For thousands of years, my tomb was hidden safely under the sand. It was a secret that no one knew about. Then, on November 4th, 1922, an explorer from England named Howard Carter made an amazing discovery—he found my tomb! He was so excited to see that everything inside was perfectly saved. Because my tomb was found with all its treasures, it helped people learn so much about what life was like in ancient Egypt. I didn't get to live a very long life, but my story continues. Today, you can see my golden mask and many other treasures in a museum, which helps people remember the Boy King and the world I lived in.