S4 E3 The Zannanza Affair: Egypt’s Ancient Murder Mystery

A foreign prince was about to become Pharaoh of Egypt—until he vanished. The Zannanza Affair is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the ancient world, a tale of power, betrayal, and murder that history tried to erase.

After the death of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, his widow, Queen Ankhesenamun, made a shocking plea to Egypt’s sworn enemy—the Hittite Empire. She begged their king to send his son, Zannanza, to marry her and rule Egypt. This was unheard of. Egypt never allowed foreign rulers to sit on its throne. Yet, against all odds, the Hittite prince set out on the journey of a lifetime. But he never arrived. Somewhere along the way, he was killed.

Who was behind this assassination? Was it the ambitious Egyptian chancellor, Ay, who sought power for himself? Was it the ruthless general, Horemheb, determined to keep Egypt under native rule? Or was it a sinister plot by the Hittites themselves? His death led to war, shifting the balance of power between two mighty empires and leaving behind a trail of blood and unanswered questions.

In this episode of Dark History, we unravel the mystery of the lost prince, the desperate queen, and the deadly game of politics that shaped the fate of Egypt. Could Zannanza have escaped? Was his death an act of war or a cover-up? And why did this incredible story fade into obscurity while Tutankhamun’s tomb became world-famous?

Join us as we travel back over 3,000 years to uncover the truth behind The Zannanza Affair. 🎙️⚰️🔎

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Transcript

The Zannanza Affair: Egypt’s Ancient Murder Mystery

The Boy King and a Dying Dynasty

The golden sands of Egypt stretch endlessly under the burning sun. The Nile, the life-giver, winds its way through the land, its waters glistening like liquid gold. In Thebes, the heart of the kingdom, priests chant in dimly lit temples, their voices a plea to the gods. The air is thick with the scent of incense, mingling with the sweat of laborers rebuilding a fractured empire. And in the royal palace, a boy-king lies dying.

Tutankhamun, once the living embodiment of the god Amun, is now a frail shadow of his former self. His body, wracked with disease, bears the scars of a short but tumultuous life. He was never meant to rule. His father, Akhenaten, had upended the kingdom, abandoning the old gods in favor of a single deity—the Aten, the sun disc. This heresy shattered Egypt’s foundations. When Akhenaten died, the old ways were reinstated, and his son, still a child, was placed on the throne to mend the damage.

But the kingdom was far from stable. The priesthood, the military, and the nobility vied for power. Tutankhamun was a puppet in the hands of older, more ambitious men. And then, suddenly, he was gone.

For centuries, Tutankhamun was largely forgotten, his name erased from many records as later pharaohs sought to erase the memory of Akhenaten’s reign and its aftermath. But in 1922, his tomb was discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter, thrusting the boy-king into the limelight in a way no one could have imagined. Unlike other royal tombs that had been looted long ago, Tutankhamun’s burial chamber remained intact, filled with treasures beyond belief. The world was captivated by the golden mask, the intricate artifacts, and the supposed "curse" that followed those who entered his tomb. His discovery overshadowed many events from ancient Egypt’s past, including the mysterious death of Prince Zannanza, the subject of our story today.

Yet behind the glimmering relics and modern fascination, the life of Tutankhamun was filled with struggle. He ascended the throne at just nine years old, married to his half-sister Ankhesenamun. She, too, was a child, yet together they were expected to heal a broken kingdom. Their marriage was one of necessity, a means of securing the royal bloodline and restoring legitimacy to the throne.

Ankhesenamun, the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, had grown up in the chaos of her father’s religious experiment. She witnessed the fall of the old gods, the isolation of her family, and the vilification of her parents’ reign. As queen, she stood beside Tutankhamun, watching as their advisors controlled every decision. Despite their youth, they attempted to restore balance, reinstating the gods of old and repairing relations with the powerful priesthood.

But their time was short. By the age of eighteen or nineteen, Tutankhamun was dead, leaving Ankhesenamun in an increasingly desperate position. She had no children, no clear ally, and a court filled with men eager to seize power.

Her husband’s death left Egypt vulnerable, leaderless, and with a queen desperate to hold onto her throne.

And that’s where our story begins.

Introduction: The Ancient Murder Mystery

Hi everyone, and welcome back to The Dark History Podcast, where we explore the darkest parts of human history. Hope everyone is well. I’m Rob, your host as always. Welcome to Season 4, Episode 3.

Today, we’re diving into one of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world—the Zannanza Affair. Now I state that this is one of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world and I can hear the collective chatter of you my dear listeners “I’ve never heard of this” “how can it be one of the greatest mysteries if we’ve never heard about it?” “Who that hell is zucchini” to you I say this is a story of power, betrayal, and a prince who never made it to his new throne. It’s a story overshadowed by our modern perception of the time and our own finding of a boy pharaoh. Also is Zannanza not Zucchini more over it’s a courgette not a Zucchini….never mind.

Imagine being a prince of the mighty Hittite Empire, raised in a world of rigid hierarchy, military discipline, and political manoeuvring. Zannanza was not expected to rule his homeland, but fate offered him something far greater—the chance to become Pharaoh of Egypt. A foreign prince, stepping onto the throne of the most powerful kingdom in the known world, a kingdom that had long seen itself as superior to all outsiders. It was an unprecedented event, a game-changing moment in history.

And then, just as quickly as the opportunity arose, it was snuffed out. The prince vanished. The exact details of his death remain lost to history, shrouded in conspiracy and speculation. Was he murdered en route to Egypt? Was he betrayed by his own people? Or did he somehow escape, choosing to carve out a quiet life far from the shadows of power?

Despite its significance, the Zannanza Affair has become obscure, buried under the weight of more famous events like Tutankhamun’s discovery. Yet, it was a turning point in ancient geopolitics, one that led to war and altered the fate of two great empires. We’re talking about a potential royal assassination, a desperate queen, and an empire on the edge of collapse. Who was responsible for Zannanza’s murder? Was it Egypt’s powerful chancellor, Ay? Was it the ambitious general, Horemheb? Did the Egyptian court ever truly intend to welcome him, or was it all an elaborate trap? Could it have even been the Hittites themselves, fearing the implications of sending one of their own to rule a foreign land? Or, as unlikely as it seems, did Zannanza simply disappear, vanishing into obscurity to live out his days as an anonymous farmer?

This is not just a story of one man’s death—it’s a glimpse into the ruthless world of ancient power struggles, where a single misstep could mean the downfall of an empire. So grab your best deer stalker and magnifying glass as we step back in time to try to unravel the mystery and listen to more dark history.

Egypt After the Death of Tutankhamun

The reign of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was a difficult time for Egypt. During this period, Western Asia was controlled by three major forces, Hatti (the Hittites), Mittani and of course Egypt. These three superpowers formed rather unstable alliances with vassal states, and proxy wars between these vassal states   constantly breaking out. Most of the so-called ‘Amarna Letters’ were requests or complaints from the kings of these vassal states, seeking either military support or rewards for their loyalty in the form of gold. Sometimes threats were made to break the alliance and to switch sides for a more beneficial arrangement. In 1323 BCE Egypt attacked Kadash, which was under Hittite control, the Hittites retaliated by attacking the city of Amka. It was in the midst of these hostilities that Tutankhamun, the last king in the Tuthmosid royal line, died. Tutankhamun’s death left Egypt in turmoil. Beyond its borders, the world was shifting. The powerful Hittite Empire, based in Anatolia, was expanding its influence, often clashing with the Mitanni kingdom, a longtime ally of Egypt. For years, Egypt and Mitanni had shared a fragile peace, secured through royal marriages and diplomatic exchanges. However, with the Mitanni weakened by internal conflicts and Hittite aggression, Egypt’s position in the region was more precarious than ever. Tutankhamun's reign saw the return of polytheism and the restoration of the power of the Amun priesthood, which had lost so much of its influence under Akhenaten. Soon after the death of Akhenaten, the monotheistic innovations of the 'Amarna Period' had been abandoned. Tutankhamun was still a child when he ascended to the throne, so during most of his 9-year reign, Egypt was in effect ruled by his advisors. Two of these advisors were highly influential and both of them were eager to fill the power vacuum after the king had died. The military, under the leadership of General Horemheb, held much of the real power, positioning itself as Egypt’s true protector. As a general in the Egyptian army, Horemheb was responsible for defending Egypt's interests in the north. He was commander of one of the most powerful armies in the world, and interestingly, he was also the son-in-law of Ay who we will meet very soon. Under Tutankhamun, he held the title of 'Deputy of the Lord of the Two Lands', which made him the appointed heir to the throne. Meanwhile, the aging Grand Vizier Ay wielded influence within the court, manoeuvring to take the throne for himself. During the reign of Akhenaten, Ay had already made a career for himself in the army. He achieved the rank of 'Overseer of All the King's Horses', This rank was somewhat comparable to the rank of a modern-day colonel.  I’m sure there is a joke in there about these two men one it in charge of all the king’s horse and the other all the kings men, I digress. It is thought that Ay was the father of Nefertiti (the queen of Akhenaten) and that he was a man of great influence in the royal court. He became Grand Vizier under Tutankhamun. The struggle between these two figures loomed over Egypt’s uncertain future, creating a volatile atmosphere of political tension and distrust.

 At the centre of it all was Ankhesenamun, Tutankhamun’s widow and half-sister. She was young, possibly no older than twenty, and had no children to secure her position. Without a male heir, she was vulnerable to being cast aside or forced into a political marriage that would render her powerless. The obvious successor was Ay, but  marrying him would mean surrendering any true authority and legitimizing his claim to the throne. Ay was also suspected to be her grandfather. The other option was Horemheb, a military man who had no royal blood but commanded vast influence and the loyalty of the army. Faced with a court full of ambitious men vying for power, and realizing she had no secure allies, Ankhesenamun made a desperate, unprecedented move—she reached out to Egypt’s greatest enemy, the Hittites, in search of an ally. In doing so, she risked everything in a last-ditch effort to secure her future and protect her kingdom from internal collapse.

Ankhesenamun’s Desperate Letters

Ankhesenamun sent a letter to Suppiluliuma I, the Great King of the Hittite Empire. The Hittites were Egypt’s most formidable rivals, ruling over much of Anatolia. Their empire was vast, stretching across modern-day Turkey and Syria, and their military power was unmatched. They had long been locked in a power struggle with Egypt, fighting over the control of key trade routes and buffer states. Despite this rivalry, there had also been moments of diplomatic peace, often cemented through royal marriages and treaties. Suppiluliuma was a war-hardened ruler, known for his cunning, military prowess, and ability to seize opportunities. Under his leadership, the Hittites had expanded aggressively, conquering the once-mighty Mitanni Kingdom, a former ally of Egypt. This victory had left Egypt in a precarious position, as the balance of power in the region shifted. With Egypt still reeling from the death of its young pharaoh and its internal struggles, Ankhesenamun’s plea was shocking. In her desperation, she wrote:

“My husband is dead, and I have no son. But they say you have many sons. If you give me one of your sons, he will be my husband. I do not wish to take one of my servants and make him my husband. I am afraid.”

This was an extraordinary request. Never before had an Egyptian queen asked a foreign ruler to send a prince to marry her and claim the throne of Egypt. It was a move that signalled just how dire her situation was. Without a powerful husband to legitimize her rule, she faced the very real possibility of being forced into marriage with Ay or another court figure who would use her to seize power. Ankhesenamun must have been around the age of 18, and she appeared desperate. The offer she made was unprecedented. Strengthening ties with other Royal houses through marriage was common practice, but it had always been strictly one-way traffic. Foreign nations were allowed to offer their women in marriage to the Egyptian royals, but never would the Favor be returned. This had already been made quite clear by Amenhotep III. Suppiluliuma was intrigued but suspicious. Was this a trap? Could he trust the Egyptians? Sending one of his sons to rule Egypt was an immense gamble. If it worked, he would establish a Hittite dynasty in the heart of his greatest rival’s empire. If it failed, it could mean war.

To determine the sincerity of the request, Suppiluliuma sent envoys to Egypt. When they returned, they confirmed that Ankhesenamun’s situation was as she had described. When the envoy returned he brought back a new message from Ankhesenamun. I have written to no other country, only to thee have I written. They say thy sons are many: so give me one son of thine. To me he will be husband, but to Egypt he will be king." Suppiluliuma remains reluctant and cautious, stating: "You keep asking me for a son of mine as if it were my duty. He will in some way become a hostage, but king you will not make him." After some more diplomatic negotiations Suppiluliuma was reassured, he made a momentous decision—he would send his son Zannanza to Egypt to become Pharaoh. 

Zannanza was not the heir to the Hittite throne. As a middle son, he had little chance of ruling his homeland. This was an opportunity for him to claim one of the greatest kingdoms in the world. With his father’s blessing, he set out on the journey to Egypt, prepared to marry Ankhesenamun and take his place as Pharaoh. And then, he disappeared. Somewhere along the way, before he could reach the Egyptian capital, Zannanza was killed. Whether he was assassinated, ambushed, or died under mysterious circumstances remains unknown. His death sent shockwaves through both Egypt and the Hittite Empire, triggering a chain of events that would lead to war and change the course of history.

The Vanishing Prince

As we know Zannanza never arrived in Egypt. Somewhere along the journey, he was either murdered, got lost, or spent his life in a whore house somewhere we will never know. Now as much as we would like to think he rode off into the sunset with 20 ladies with questionable morals in toe and set up some sort of sex crazed farm somewhere, spending his remaining year ploughing fields and ploughing….. yeah lets not go into that, most likely he was murdered, Whether he fell victim to an ambush, was poisoned, or was executed under secret orders remains a mystery. His death sent immediate shockwaves across the region. Back in the Egyptian court, the balance of power shifted quickly. Ay, the aging Grand Vizier and close advisor to Tutankhamun, seized the throne. Although his son-in-law was the rightful heir due to Tutenkarmun making him so, somehow Ay outmaneuvered Horemheb and took the throne of Egypt. In the tomb of Tutankhamun, Ay is shown wearing the royal blue crown and the priestly leopard skin, performing a burial ritual called the 'opening of the mouth' on the mummy of Tutankhamun. This was a task that was usually done by the successor of the dead king. It is not known  how Ay was able to sideline Horemheb. We may find a clue in the fact that Ay chose Nakhtmin, the general of the southern army, as his crown prince. With Nakhtmin as his ally, Ay may have been able to counterbalance the obvious military advantage that Horemheb held over him. To legitimize his rule, he married Ankhesenamun, forcing her into a union she may have despised. The young queen, who had reached out in desperation to the Hittites, was now trapped in a political web she could not escape. Her fate after this marriage is unknown—historical records suggest she vanished from history soon after. Horemheb, the ambitious general who commanded Egypt’s military, watched from the sidelines, biding his time. Though he did not yet challenge Ay, he knew his opportunity would come. Far to the north, in the grand city of Hattusa, Suppiluliuma received the devastating news. His son was dead, murdered before he could set foot in Egypt. The loss of Zannanza was not just a personal tragedy—it was a direct insult, an act of treachery that could not go unanswered. Raging with grief and fury, Suppiluliuma demanded answers. He dispatched envoys to Egypt, demanding to know what had happened. The diplomatic correspondence between the two nations grew tense. Ay, now Pharaoh, sent carefully worded replies, deflecting blame. He insisted that Zannanza had been killed by rogue elements, bandits beyond his control. Ay also asks why Suppiluliuma sent his son to Egypt in the first place, because the throne was obviously already taken. Suppiluliuma says that he was unaware of this stating:

"I was willing to send my son for the [kin]gship, [but that you already were se]ated [on the throne], that [I knew] not." 

Suppiluliuma asks why Ay did not just send his son back to him. "But if you [in the meanwhile had seated yourself on the throne, then] you could have sent my son back home.

 the Hittite king did not believe Ay on the fate of his son. In his letters, Suppiluliuma accused the Egyptians of treachery. His fury was evident:

“You deceived me! You said you would make my son your king, yet he is dead before he reached you! Who has done this? You will answer for this insult!”

Ay’s responses were evasive, carefully crafted to prevent open war. But war was inevitable. Suppiluliuma declared vengeance on Egypt, launching military campaigns against Egyptian territories in Syria. The hostilities that followed would lead to years of bloodshed, shifting the balance of power in the ancient world. The truth of Zannanza’s murder was never revealed. Did Ay orchestrate the killing to secure his own power? Did Horemheb eliminate him to prevent a foreign ruler from taking the throne? Or was it the work of Egyptian nobles, unwilling to see an outsider sit upon their sacred throne? One thing was certain—Zannanza’s death changed history forever.

Outraged, Suppiluliuma declared war on Egypt. The Hittite forces moved quickly, launching raids into Egyptian-controlled territory in Syria and Canaan. The two great empires clashed in brutal skirmishes, their armies fighting over key trade routes and strategic fortresses. Cities fell, lands were scorched, and the conflict threatened to engulf the entire region.

Despite Egypt’s internal instability, Ay managed to hold the kingdom together, relying on Horemheb to lead the military effort. Egyptian forces mounted counteroffensives, pushing back against Hittite incursions. The war dragged on, neither side able to claim a decisive victory.

Then, something far deadlier struck both sides—the plague. The hostilities were recorded in the so-called 'Plague Prayers', written by another son of Suppiluliuma: “When my father gave them his son, and when they took him off, they killed him. My father became hostile, went to Egyptian territory, and attacked Egyptian territory. He killed the infantry, and chariotry of Egypt.”

In a strange twist of fate, this act of revenge would become the ultimate downfall of Suppiluliuma. The Egyptian prisoners of war that were taken back to Hatti were infected with the plague. The disease swept through the Hittite Empire, devastating its military ranks and civilian population alike. Thousands perished, and as the sickness spread through the royal palace of Hattusa, Suppiluliuma himself fell victim to it along with his crown prince. His death left the Hittites in disarray, their leadership fractured as his other sons struggled for control. For almost two decades the Hittites suffered and this gave the Egyptians some much-needed breathing room.

Egypt, too, suffered from the outbreak. The plague did not discriminate—it struck soldiers and civilians alike. However, with Ay in control and Horemheb securing the military, the kingdom managed to remain intact. Ay’s grip on power remained firm, though the war had left Egypt weakened and vulnerable.

What had started as an act of political treachery had spiraled into a catastrophic war, leaving destruction in its wake. Though the immediate hostilities between Egypt and the Hittites ceased, the consequences of the conflict would echo for generations, shaping the future of both empires.

Closing Thoughts

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to this dark episode. And that’s the story of the Zannanza Affair an ancient murder mystery that shaped the course of Egyptian and Hittite history. Ay ruled for only a few years before he, too, died in 1319 BCE. It is thought that Nakhtmin died before Ay, and so the path was clear for Horemheb to finally take his place on the throne. Horemheb immediately started a campaign to deny good memory to all of his predecessors that were in some way associated with the Amarna Period. Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, and Ay were all targeted. Horemheb was the last pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, he died in 1292 BCE. This paved the way for ramses I who served as Horemhebs grand vizier and became the first pharaoh and founder the 19th dynasty. This dynasty would be celebrated as one of the best Egyptian dynasties. A large tomb was built by Horemheb before he took the throne, this was located in 1975 at Saqqarah, near Memphis. It remained unused, however, as Horemheb was buried in a royal tomb in the Valley of the kings. As for Zannanza? Like most murder mystery victims His fate remains a mystery. Murdered in cold blood? A casualty of political intrigue? Or did he somehow escape, fading into the pages of history? We may never know. Its sad that when all is said and done, after all the political infighting, clashes of empire, disease, power struggles and wars the person who lost his life is merely a foot not in his own story. Like I’ve stated numerous times in today’s episode his fate will never be known and the though of that is scarier than death itself. So, for his sake I hope he made his little farm somewhere, but he was probably horribly murdered. What do you think happened to him? Let me know your thoughts on our socials. If you enjoy the show, please consider leaving a review—it really helps us reach more listeners by boosting our visibility in the algorithm. if you think friends or family might enjoy the podcast, don’t hesitate to share it with them. You’ll find links to all our socials below.

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