Khyan c. 1610–1590 BC
A Hyksos king who ruled from Avaris in the eastern Delta. Objects with his name have turned up far from Egypt: a jar lid at Knossos on Crete, a vessel at Hattusa in Anatolia and a granite lion bought in Baghdad, now in the British Museum. His dates are uncertain, and recent finds at Avaris and Edfu have led some scholars to place him decades earlier.
Throne name: Seuserenre
s-wsr-n-rꜥ: “He whom Ra has made strong”
Sign by sign
- Sun N5rꜥ The sun, the sun god Ra. Day.
- Folded cloth S29s The sound s.
- Head and neck of a canine F12wsr Strong, powerful.
- Ripple of water N35n The sound n. Also means 'of, to'.
Birth name: Khyan
ḫyꜣn
A foreign name, probably West Semitic. Also written Khayan or Khian.
Sign by sign
- Placenta Aa1ḫ The sound ḫ.
- Flowering reed M17i The sound i.
- Flowering reed M17i The sound i.
- Egyptian vulture G1ꜣ The sound ꜣ. Often read as 'a' in names.
- Ripple of water N35n The sound n. Also means 'of, to'.
Where to see Khyan's name today
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
The Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square holds some of the most important inscribed objects in Egypt, from the Narmer Palette, with one of the first royal names, to the Merneptah Stela, with the first mention of Israel. You can follow the script here from its beginnings to long New Kingdom texts.
MuseumBritish Museum, London
The British Museum has one of the largest Egyptian collections outside Egypt, and you can read its hieroglyphs from the Rosetta Stone to painted coffins. Room 4 alone holds the stone and a colossal Ramesses II.
Read more about Khyan
- Pharaohs of Egypt in order: the best-known kings, dynasty by dynasty Pharaohs of Egypt in order: the best-known kings from Narmer to Cleopatra VII, period by period, with dates and what each one is remembered for.
Names of gods (Ra, Amun, Ptah) are written first out of respect, even when they are read later. Dates are approximate; we follow Ian Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000).