NEFERTITI
One of the most mysterious and powerful women in ancient Egypt, Nefertiti was queen alongside Pharaoh Akhenaten from 1353 to 1336 B.C.
Little is known about the origins of Nefertiti, whose name means “a beautiful woman has come,”
Some evidence suggests that Nefertiti came from the town Akhmim, and was the daughter or niece of a high official named Ay.
Ay would go on to become pharaoh after King Tutankhamun’s death in 1323 B.C.
Other theories have suggested that Nefertiti was born in a foreign country, possibly Syria.
The exact date when Nefertiti married the future pharaoh Amenhotep IV, is unknown.
It is generally believed she was 15 when they wed, which may have been before Amenhotep assumed the throne.
After Nefertiti had given birth to six daughters, her husband Amenhotep, began taking other wives.
This included his own sister, with whom he fathered the future king, Tutankhamun.
Amenhotep and Nefertiti’s daughter Ankhesenamun, would eventually marry her half brother Tutankhamun.
Nefertiti and her husband, established the cult of Aten, the sun god.
Aten was the most important god, and the only one worthy of worship in Egypt’s polytheistic canon.
Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten, to honor the deity.
It is believed that the king and queen were priests, and that it was only through them that ordinary citizens could obtain access to Aten.
The royal family resided in a constructed city called Akhetaton, in what is now known as el-Amarna.
There were several open-air temples in the city, and at the centre, stood the palace.
Nefertiti was perhaps one of the most powerful women ever to have ruled.
Her husband went to great lengths to display her as an equal.
In several reliefs, she is shown wearing the crown of a pharaoh, or smiting her enemies in battle.
Despite this great power, Nefertiti disappears from all depictions after just 12 years.
The reason for her disappearance is unknown.
Some scholars believe she died, while others speculate she was elevated to the status of co-regent, equal in power to the pharaoh.
She then began to dress herself as a man.
Other theories suggest she became known as Pharaoh Smenkhkare, ruling Egypt after her husband’s death, or that she was exiled when the worship of the deity Amen-Ra came back.
Despite extensive searches, the tomb of Nefertiti has never been found.
Although, a recent discovery near KV62 in the Valley of the Kings could soon lead to a breakthrough.
If this is Nefertiti’s tomb, it would be an astounding archaeological discovery – and the most significant since Howard Carter’s 1922 uncovering of Tutankhamun.
❣️ Royalty Now’s modern rendition of Queen Nefertiti
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