Ra was the ancient Egyptian god of the Sun. His worship centered on Heliopolis, where he was associated with Atum, a creator deity, and his influence expanded across Egypt during the Old Kingdom.
Egyptians imagined Ra traveling across the sky in a solar barque, bringing light and life. At night, he journeyed through the underworld, where he battled Apophis, the serpent associated with chaos, before being reborn at dawn. This daily cycle helped explain both the Sun's movement and the renewal of life.
Ra was often shown as a man with a falcon's head and a solar disk encircled by a cobra. He was also combined with other major gods: Ra-Horakhty united him with Horus, while Amun-Ra became especially important during the New Kingdom. Horus was also linked with the sky and Sun, but Ra is the standard answer when a quiz asks for Egypt's principal Sun god.