Khyan

Khyan was one of the most significant pharaohs of the Hyksos Fifteenth Dynasty, reigning during the Second Intermediate Period. He ruled from the city of Avaris in the Nile Delta from around 1620 to 1585 BC, with dates uncertain by roughly twenty-five years. His thirty-five-year reign represented a phase of administrative stability and expanded influence for the northern dynasty.

During his rule, Egypt remained politically partitioned, yet trade routes flourished. Archaeological evidence suggests contacts reached far beyond Egypt, with objects bearing his name found across the Levant, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean world. Domestically, Khyan maintained authority over Lower Egypt and left architectural traces further south, including inscribed stone blocks discovered at Gebelein.

Scholars know Khyan through numerous surviving scarabs and cylinder seals, as well as monumental remains of a large Hyksos palace complex uncovered at Tell el-Dab'a. His designated heir was his son Yanassi, though his ultimate successor on the throne was Apepi. Khyan's burial place has not been identified.

Monuments

• Tell el-Dab'a palace
• Gebelein blocks

Explore further

Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.