Amun, also known as the supreme deity of Egypt and one of the most ancient gods in the Egyptian pantheon. His name meant "The Hidden One". He was also one of the principal gods in Thebes, along with his wife, the Lion Headed goddess. The two had a son Khonshu, the moon god. The ram with long horns became the symbol representing Amun, as well as the goose, two animals he prized and saw as sacred. Amun is also portrayed as having blue skin.
Amun was also worshipped as the agricultural god during the 11th dynasty (2125-2055 B.C.)of Thebes. During the war of the 12th dynasty, the North and South were united. The new kingdom then lasted from 1550 to 1069 B.C. The Golden Age of Egyptian civilization happened in this period as well in what the Egyptians know as Waset but we called Thebes and is now known as Luxor, the most important religious center.
The celebration of Opet is most important for Amun. In this celebration, statues of Amun, Mut and Khnoshu (his two children) were carried from Karnak to Luxor each year.
Amun's visit to Mutemwiya which resulted in the birth of his son Amenhotep III is inscribed on the walls of the temple of Luxor.
Thebes was considered to be the center of the universe. And, by making Amun a supreme god, the Egyptian civilization came close to practicing monotheism. Their faith continued strong all through the Ptolemaic dynasty (332-32 B.C.). When the Greeks learned of Amun, they saw him as the equivalent to Zeus.
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