Nefertiti, Egyptian for the beautiful one has come, was born c. 1370 BC. Nefertiti’s parentage is not known with certainty, but one often cited theory is that she was the daughter of Ay, later to be pharaoh. However, this hypothesis is likely wrong since Ay and his wife Tey are never called the father and mother of Nefertiti, and Tey’s only connection with her was that she was the nurse of the great queen Nefertiti. Nefertiti’s scenes in the tombs of the nobles of Amarna mention the queen’s sister who is named Mutbenret (previously read as Mutnodjmet).
The exact dates when Nefertiti married Akhenaten and became the King’s Great Royal Wife are uncertain. Their six known daughters were: Meritaten, Meketaten, Ankhesenpaaten, Neferneferuaten Tasherit, Neferneferure and Setepenre.
Nefertiti had many titles including Hereditary Princess; Great of Praises; Lady of Grace; Sweet of Love; Lady of the Two Lands; Main King’s Wife, his beloved; Great King’s Wife, his beloved; Lady of all Women; and Mistress of the Upper and Lower Egypt.
Nefertiti first appears in scenes in Thebes. In the damaged tomb of the royal butler Parennefer, the new Pharaoh Amenhotep IV is accompanied by a royal woman, thought to be Nefertiti. The Pharaoh and Queen are shown worshipping the Aten. In the tomb of the vizier Ramose, Nefertiti is shown standing behind Amenhotep IV in the Window of Appearance during a reward ceremony for the vizier.
During the early years in Thebes, Akhenaten (still known as Amenhotep IV) had several temples erected at Karnak. One of the structures, the Mansion of the Benben, was dedicated to Nefertiti. She is depicted with her daughter, Meritaten, and in some scenes, with her second daughter Meketaten. In scenes found on the talatat, Nefertiti appears almost twice as often as her husband. She is shown appearing behind her husband in offering scenes, but she is also depicted in scenes that would have normally been the prerogative of the Pharaoh. She is shown smiting the enemy, and captive enemies decorate her throne.
In the fourth year of his reign, Amenhotep IV decided to move the capital to Akhetaten (modern Amarna). In his fifth year, Amenhotep IV officially changed his name to Akhenaten, and Nefertiti was known as Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti. The name change was a sign of the ever-increasing importance of the cult of the Aten. It changed Egypt’s religion from a polytheistic religion to a religion which may have been better described as a monolatry (the depiction of a single god as an object for worship) or henotheism (one god, who is not the only god).
The boundary stelae of years 4 and 5 mark the boundaries of the new city and suggest that the new city of Akhetaten occurred around that time. The new city contained several large open-air temples dedicated to the Aten. Nefertiti and her family would have resided in the Great Royal Palace in the centre of the city and possibly at the Northern Palace as well. She is featured prominently in the scenes at the palaces and in the tombs of the nobles.
Inscriptions in the tombs of Huya and Meryre II dated to the Year 12, 2nd month of Peret, Day 8 show a large foreign tribute. The people of Kharu (north) and Kush (south) are shown bringing gifts of gold and precious items to Akhenaten and Nefertiti. In the tomb of Meryre II, the royal couple is shown seated in a kiosk with their six daughters in attendance. This is one of the last times Meketaten is shown alive. Meketaten may have died in Year 13 or 14. Nefertiti, Akhenaten and three princesses are shown mourning her. Nefertiti disappears from the scene soon after that.
Many scholars believe that Nefertiti had a role elevated from that of Great Royal Wife and was promoted to co-regent by her husband before his death. She is depicted in many archaeological sites as equal in stature to a King, smiting Egypt’s enemies, riding a chariot, and worshipping the Aten in the manner of a Pharaoh. When Nefertiti’s name disappears from historical records, it is replaced by that of a co-regent named Neferneferuaten, who became a female Pharaoh. It seems likely that Nefertiti, in a similar fashion to the previous female Pharaoh Hatshepsut, assumed the kingship under the name Pharaoh Neferneferuaten after her husband’s death. It is also possible that, in a similar fashion to Hatshepsut, Nefertiti disguised herself as a male and assumed the male alter-ego of Smenkhkare; in this instance she could have elevated her daughter Meritaten to the role of Great Royal Wife.
If Nefertiti did rule Egypt as a Pharaoh, it has been theorised that she could have attempted damage control and may have re-instated the Ancient Egyptian religion and the Amun priests, and had Tutankhamun raised in with the traditional gods.
Archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass theorised that Nefertiti returned to Thebes from Amarna to rule as Pharaoh, based on ushabti and other feminine evidence of a female Pharaoh found in Tutankhamun’s tomb, as well as evidence of Nefertiti smiting Egypt’s enemies, which was a duty reserved to Kings.
Nefertiti was made famous by her beautiful bust, now in Berlin’s Neues Museum. It is a stucco-coated limestone bust, crafted in 1345 BC, by the sculptor Thutmose. The bust was found on 6 December 1912 at Amarna by the German Oriental Company, led by German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt. His diary provides the main written account of the find; he remarks: Suddenly, we had in our hands the most alive Egyptian artwork. You cannot describe it with words. You must see it.
Nefertiti had many titles including Hereditary Princess; Great of Praises; Lady of Grace; Sweet of Love; Lady of the Two Lands; Main King’s Wife, his beloved; Great King’s Wife, his beloved; Lady of all Women; and Mistress of the Upper and Lower Egypt.
Nefertiti first appears in scenes in Thebes. In the damaged tomb of the royal butler Parennefer, the new Pharaoh Amenhotep IV is accompanied by a royal woman, thought to be Nefertiti. The Pharaoh and Queen are shown worshipping the Aten. In the tomb of the vizier Ramose, Nefertiti is shown standing behind Amenhotep IV in the Window of Appearance during a reward ceremony for the vizier.
During the early years in Thebes, Akhenaten (still known as Amenhotep IV) had several temples erected at Karnak. One of the structures, the Mansion of the Benben, was dedicated to Nefertiti. She is depicted with her daughter, Meritaten, and in some scenes, with her second daughter Meketaten. In scenes found on the talatat, Nefertiti appears almost twice as often as her husband. She is shown appearing behind her husband in offering scenes, but she is also depicted in scenes that would have normally been the prerogative of the Pharaoh. She is shown smiting the enemy, and captive enemies decorate her throne.
In the fourth year of his reign, Amenhotep IV decided to move the capital to Akhetaten (modern Amarna). In his fifth year, Amenhotep IV officially changed his name to Akhenaten, and Nefertiti was known as Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti. The name change was a sign of the ever-increasing importance of the cult of the Aten. It changed Egypt’s religion from a polytheistic religion to a religion which may have been better described as a monolatry (the depiction of a single god as an object for worship) or henotheism (one god, who is not the only god).
The boundary stelae of years 4 and 5 mark the boundaries of the new city and suggest that the new city of Akhetaten occurred around that time. The new city contained several large open-air temples dedicated to the Aten. Nefertiti and her family would have resided in the Great Royal Palace in the centre of the city and possibly at the Northern Palace as well. She is featured prominently in the scenes at the palaces and in the tombs of the nobles.
Inscriptions in the tombs of Huya and Meryre II dated to the Year 12, 2nd month of Peret, Day 8 show a large foreign tribute. The people of Kharu (north) and Kush (south) are shown bringing gifts of gold and precious items to Akhenaten and Nefertiti. In the tomb of Meryre II, the royal couple is shown seated in a kiosk with their six daughters in attendance. This is one of the last times Meketaten is shown alive. Meketaten may have died in Year 13 or 14. Nefertiti, Akhenaten and three princesses are shown mourning her. Nefertiti disappears from the scene soon after that.
Many scholars believe that Nefertiti had a role elevated from that of Great Royal Wife and was promoted to co-regent by her husband before his death. She is depicted in many archaeological sites as equal in stature to a King, smiting Egypt’s enemies, riding a chariot, and worshipping the Aten in the manner of a Pharaoh. When Nefertiti’s name disappears from historical records, it is replaced by that of a co-regent named Neferneferuaten, who became a female Pharaoh. It seems likely that Nefertiti, in a similar fashion to the previous female Pharaoh Hatshepsut, assumed the kingship under the name Pharaoh Neferneferuaten after her husband’s death. It is also possible that, in a similar fashion to Hatshepsut, Nefertiti disguised herself as a male and assumed the male alter-ego of Smenkhkare; in this instance she could have elevated her daughter Meritaten to the role of Great Royal Wife.
If Nefertiti did rule Egypt as a Pharaoh, it has been theorised that she could have attempted damage control and may have re-instated the Ancient Egyptian religion and the Amun priests, and had Tutankhamun raised in with the traditional gods.
Archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass theorised that Nefertiti returned to Thebes from Amarna to rule as Pharaoh, based on ushabti and other feminine evidence of a female Pharaoh found in Tutankhamun’s tomb, as well as evidence of Nefertiti smiting Egypt’s enemies, which was a duty reserved to Kings.
Nefertiti was made famous by her beautiful bust, now in Berlin’s Neues Museum. It is a stucco-coated limestone bust, crafted in 1345 BC, by the sculptor Thutmose. The bust was found on 6 December 1912 at Amarna by the German Oriental Company, led by German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt. His diary provides the main written account of the find; he remarks: Suddenly, we had in our hands the most alive Egyptian artwork. You cannot describe it with words. You must see it.
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| Nefertiti Thutmose c. 1345 BC |
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Nefertiti and Akhenaten
unknown
c. 1345 BC
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Okay, first of all, i'm completly floored by the beauty of your drawing, i mean, all the egyptian gods that have ever existed must be so proud of you! :) It's also refreshing to see a woman in History getting some recognition for her legacy :) Nefertiti, the most beautiful one of all indeed, and your masterpice really shows that off, uau :)
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