Aha

1st Dynasty

Probably the first king of Egypt, Aha was the son or successor of Nar-Mer. His mother may have been Queen Neithhotep; alternatively she has been described as his wife. Aha is also most likely to be indentified with Menes, the reputed unifier of the Two Lands.

According to Manetho, Aha reigned for sixty-four years, presumably coming to the throne as a very young man. He was said to have died as the result of injuries sustained in a hippopotamus hunt, a story which is as likely as not, myth.

He also is said to have established temples to the gods of Egypt, thus inaugurating a practice which was one of the glories of the kingship over the next 3,000 years. The place of Aha's own burial at Abydos is really the first monumental funerary complex in the history of Egypt.

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Last Updated: June 21st, 2011