رمزية الصورة في سينوغرافيا مسرحية "إخناتون" لـــ "أجاثا كريستي" IMAGE SYMBOLISM IN THE SCENOGRAPHY OF “AKHNATON” BY AGATHA CHRISTIE

Akhnaton is one of the most controversial ancient Egyptian kings in history. His reign was marked by radical changes in ancient Egyptian religion and culture. He made the worship of the monotheistic god Aten the official religion and established a new city called “Akhet-Aten” (Horizon of Aten) in Tell el-Amarna as a center of worship. He also directed his efforts toward achieving internal and external peace and reconciliation. He is considered a unique figure in ancient Egyptian history, leaving a legacy that raises questions. Views about him vary, ranging from glorification to denigration and descriptions of him as mad, even his death remains uncertain. Some say he committed suicide after losing his sight from staring too much into the sun, or he died from poisoning, or he was killed in an attack on his palace. All these imaginary endings seem logical for a king who had many enemies, especially the priests of Amun who were angered by his conversion of ancient Egypt's polytheistic religion to a single god. This play is a significant literary revelation, as it is the only non-detective work by its English author, Agatha Christie, who was famous for her detective novels and only deviated from this line once in this work. The researcher designed the scenography of this play based on the original text, through a symbolic vision that relied on simplifying the ancient Egyptian style, which made it easier for audiences from different cultural backgrounds to understand the inclusion of symbols in the sets and characters’ costumes and interact with the performance without the need for precise knowledge of ancient Egyptian history.