The tall crown or headdress worn by ancient Egyptian pharaohs, typically depicted as a combination of the White Crown and other royal symbols.
From Egyptian ȝtf or similar, referring to the tall crown depicted in hieroglyphics. The term was adopted into English through Egyptology as scholars studied ancient kingship symbols.
The atef crown literally made pharaohs look taller and more godlike—ancient rulers understood that visual symbolism shapes how people perceive power, which is why every culture's leaders wore distinctive crowns or headdresses.
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