For many centuries now, the face of this woman has been considered the standard of female beauty, about which legends are written, because it is exquisite and spiritual. IN Lately, a real boom began around the image of Nefertiti, as women turn to plastic surgeons with requests to copy the queen’s face shape. Women do makeup like the famous Egyptian maiden wore, and fashion designers create outfits, shoes and hats that also resemble Nefertiti’s outfits.
There are many versions of the origin of the Egyptian queen, but recently another, more recent version has appeared, according to which she was born in 1370, but not in Egypt, as previously thought. True, historians still cannot come to a common opinion in which country and family she was born.
It’s strange, but previously they did not pay attention to the name of the queen of Egypt, but Nefertiti, translated from the Egyptian language - the beauty who came, this suggests that she arrived in Egypt from another country. This means that the secret of her origin may be in her name, and the shape of Nefertiti’s eyes speaks of her non-Egyptian origin. There is a hypothesis that the father of the future queen was from Turkey, and her mother from Mitani. Most likely, it was from Turkey that at a young age the girl was taken to the country of the pyramids as a gift to Amenhotep the third, and became one of the pharaoh’s many concubines. Women from the harem were supposed to give birth to children for the pharaoh and take care of him.
However, fate had its own way, since immediately after the arrival of the future queen in Egypt, old Amenhotep died, and according to the tradition of that time, all the wives of the pharaoh had to be killed and buried along with their owner. Unlike the others, Nefertiti was lucky, because the son of the late pharaoh, Amenhotep the fourth, fell in love with her. It was he who took a bold step for those times, left his father’s concubine alive, and eventually married her. It is clear that he was motivated by a fiery love for the girl, because it was not for nothing that he signed all his decrees with an oath eternal love to God and Nefertiti.
Even at a young age, the girl watched her husband and learned from him how to conduct government affairs. Already at the age of twenty, she was a virtuoso in political games; moreover, in her ability to convince opponents, she had no equal in that distant time. She did what she wanted, her husband did not contradict her, but always indulged her in everything. Nefertiti convinced her husband to renounce his religion and accept the gods of her land, after which Amenhotep the fourth changed his name and began to be called Akhenaten, which means pleasing to Aten, that is, the newly proclaimed God of the sun. The pharaoh declared his wife his equal and ordered that any of her orders be carried out, thus Nefertiti achieved what she wanted, namely, she became a real queen with all the rights and power.
On her orders, a new capital of the country was built, ancient temples were destroyed and persecution of adherents of the old faith began. The queen once a week went out onto the balcony of her palace, under which a crowd gathered, made fiery speeches, and then presented gifts to her subjects, throwing gold coins on the heads of the surprised Egyptians, while not forgetting to mention that these were gifts from the newly proclaimed solar God Aten.
However, in family life Problems began to arise, since Nefertiti bore her husband six daughters, and he needed an heir to the throne, so Akhenaten took another, young wife, who bore him a boy, the future Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Nefertiti was taken outside the city, where she lived for exactly a year, after which the melancholy Akhenaten returned her to the royal chambers, but they were not destined to live together for long. The expelled and oppressed religious priests united in groups and rebelled. The pharaoh was captured, his eyes were gouged out, and then executed. Nefertiti was the head of state for a few more days, after which she, too, was killed by the enraged fanatics of the old religion. They did not calm down even after Nefertiti’s death, first they plundered her tomb, and then mutilated her body and consigned it to oblivion for millennia.
And the mystery of the origin, power, and personal life of Queen Nefertiti still remains unsolved.
Nefertiti and Tutankhaten. Death of Nefertiti
In the seventeenth year of his reign, Akhenaten died. Whether the cause of this was illness or an assassination attempt by enemies, of whom the pharaoh had many, is unknown. But Nefertiti immediately takes action. There is a version about how Nefertiti could take revenge with the help of another heir.
The name Nefertiti was erased from the history of Egypt, but she still had one more trump card - she was raising her nephew Tutankhaton, who may have been her half-brother and who had rights to the throne. Nefertiti tried in vain to convert Tutankhaten to her faith. While preparations were underway for the funeral and embalming of her husband, she crowned Tutankhaton, still just a boy, in the capital. After all, Thebes is three hundred kilometers away, and if you hold back the messengers, your rivals may be late. In order to increase the solidity of her nephew’s rights to the throne, the queen urgently married him to her daughter and Akhenaten’s widow Ankhesenpaaton, a very young girl - she was then no more than fifteen years old. Tutankhaten ascended the throne as a teenager and died as a young man. And then fate smiled on Nefertiti. Even during the coronation of Tutankhaten, Akhenaten's co-ruler Smenkhara unexpectedly died. For some time, Tutankhaten ruled, although in fact Nefertiti again ruled Egypt.
But she soon died (this happened around 1354 BC). In two years, almost everyone who had rights to the throne died. After the death of Nefertiti, Tutankhaton was transported to Thebes. Whether he wanted this, we do not know, but in any case, Nefertiti and her support were no longer there. Under the influence of the Theban nobility, Tutankhaten revived the cults of traditional gods and changed his name to Tutankhamun - “The Living Likeness of Amon.” Religious reform collapsed and disappeared like a desert mirage. The priests returned to power, first in Thebes, and then throughout the country. Akhenaten's capital was abandoned by its inhabitants and abandoned. And then the priests took up the usual task for all revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries - they began to knock down and scrape off inscriptions, cover up paintings and break statues. Akhetaten was destroyed.
The circle is closed. First, Akhenaten dealt with Amun and other old gods. Several years passed, and the inconsolable Nefertiti had to watch as everything connected with her name was destroyed. And now it’s the turn of the great pharaoh himself. It was a monumental work, comparable only to the construction of Akhetaten. Thousands of workers spent several months erasing the memory of a great period in the life of Egypt. Akhenaten’s mummy could not be found, and therefore scientists are almost sure that the priests opened his tomb, desecrated and robbed it, and then burned the pharaoh’s mummy itself. No traces of Nefertiti have been found, and it is unknown how she ended her days. Her mummy has not been found.
Although new research may have already solved this mystery. British Egyptologist Joan Fletcher reported in 2003 that a team of scientists under her leadership managed to identify Nefertiti's mummy. According to Fletcher, a mummification specialist at the University of York, the supposed mummy of Nefertiti was found in a secret crypt in one of the burials in the Valley of the Kings back in 1898. She was walled up in a side chamber of the tomb of Amenhotep IV. The body was rather poorly preserved, and therefore attracted almost no attention. It was photographed only once in 1907, before being walled up again. “After 12 years of searching for Nefertiti, this is probably the most miraculous discovery of my life. Although for now we can only assume with a high probability that the mummy has been identified correctly, the finds, obviously, in any case will have great importance for Egyptology,” Fletcher said.
After the examination, Joan Fletcher was able to provide quite significant evidence that she was right. X-rays showed the mummy's resemblance to famous descriptions of Nefertiti, who was famous for her swan neck. Another piece of evidence is traces from a forehead strap that was firmly stuck into the skin. In addition, Fletcher indicates that the head was shaved, and two holes were made in one of the earlobes for earrings, as in the portraits of the queen that have come down to us.
Scientists later discovered a piece separated from the mummy. right hand, in whose withered fingers was the royal scepter. She was bent in a gesture only allowed to monarchs. In addition, jewelry was found in one of the niches of the tomb, which supported Fletcher's assumptions that it was indeed Nefertiti's mummy that was found. However, it is still too early to say this definitely. The mysterious Nefertiti still keeps her secrets.
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Nefertiti and Akhenaten are historical figures who lived about 3400 years ago in Ancient Egypt. Archaeologists first learned about the existence of Amenhotep, better known as Pharaoh Akhenaten, and his main wife Nefertiti thanks to a discovery made during the excavations of Akhetaten.
The found tablets with records led scientists to believe that the description of the ceremonies in these artifacts reliably confirms the marriage between the pharaoh and the queen. The enthusiastic epithets that described the beauty of the young girl made scientists doubt this statement, but the bust found later fully confirmed the truth of what was written in the ancient tablets.
Who is she?
Scientists are still arguing about who the Egyptian queen Nefertiti was; her origins have not been clarified for certain. Many questions remain: when exactly did the queen die, was Nefertiti’s separate tomb erected or was she buried near Akhenaten, and was Nefertiti’s mummy preserved. The tablets found during excavations in the 20th century allow us to put forward several versions of where the young beauty came from:
2. The young maiden belonged to the highest nobility and arrived at the court to become one of the favorites of the pharaoh. The ceremony of her receiving the title “Nefertiti, Queen of Egypt”, the biography set out in ancient tablets - all this confirms this version and indicates the high origin of the beauty.
3. Latest version is the most wealthy and says that Taduhepa (or Taduchepa) was the second daughter of the Mitannian king Tushratta, and she arrived in Egypt after her older sister. As was customary at that time, the girl changed her name and began to be called Nefertiti, which meant “perfect.” Disputes between scientists that Nefertiti was, after all, Geluhepa’s older sister were resolved after the discovery of a historical archive that contained information about her age.
Disputes about the beauty of the queen
It is known for certain that in those days Egyptian women were considered one of the most beautiful women, and the historical evidence found confirms the existence of a cult of beauty.
The ancient Egyptians were truly virtuoso cosmetologists: the number of recipes for moisturizing, nourishing, and anti-aging creams numbered in the hundreds. All of them were made on the basis of aromatic oils, medicinal herbs, milk or clay. At the same time, the prototype of a modern deodorant appeared - small bags with fragrant herbs that were attached to the armpits. Special attention was given to the body: there are known recipes for ointments for peeling and redness, as well as products for massage and bathing.
So what did the young queen look like in life? Disputes about this ceased after the discovery of a bust of Nefertiti by Ludwig Borchardt during excavations near a small Egyptian village. The bust was made by the famous ancient sculptor Thutmose.
The archaeologist was so amazed by the beauty of the queen that he made the following entry in his diary: “Look and admire.” Borchardt disguised the find as an ordinary stone containing insignificant notes, and then secretly took it abroad. Now this artifact is in the Berlin museum dedicated to the history of Ancient Egypt.
We must pay tribute to the beauty of Nefertiti; she had a very elegant, sophisticated appearance and used cosmetics very skillfully. There is several evidence that Nefertiti took a bath at least five times a day, changed her outfits and makeup, and did it on a grand scale.
Over a hundred subjects could be present at the ablution ceremony, offering incense, ointments and creams, clothes and jewelry, as well as light snacks. The queen took a special bath of milk and aromatic infusions every evening, thanks to which her skin was supposed to remain smooth and soft.
Appearance in the harem and the struggle for power
Some people became known by chance Interesting Facts: Akhenaten was still playing with dolls when he received the throne and his father's huge harem. Tia, without any doubt, of all the girls chose Nefertiti as her son’s wife and married them. The perfection of the girl's features, her impeccable figure and sharp mind so impressed the young pharaoh that he was not interested in the other women of the harem.
Immediately, a fierce confrontation began between Tia and Nefertiti for influence over Akhenaten - thanks to her cunning and intelligence, Nefertiti won. The mother was immediately removed from power, and her supporters were removed from important positions.
The queen always accompanied her husband: they went for walks together, supervised the construction of the temple in honor of Aten, and received important guests. They also checked the posts around the city together, and the guard had to give a brief report to both spouses. This idyll lasted for many years; during the marriage, Nefertiti had six children, but all of them were girls, which greatly saddened Akhenaten.
last years of life
It is known from historical records that the enormous influence that Nefertiti had on Akhenaten irritated many. Their marriage began to crumble after it became clear that the queen would not be able to give birth to a boy. Disagreements between the spouses intensified when Nefertiti’s middle daughter, Maketaten, died. The ill-wishers did not fail to take advantage of the opportunity and presented the young beauty Kiya to the pharaoh.
After the death of her daughter, Nefertiti retired to another palace, and the new favorite completely captured Akhenaten’s heart. The vows of eternal love for his ex-wife were forgotten, and to emphasize the status of the new chosen one, Kiya was given the title of junior pharaoh. All images of Nefertiti begin to be destroyed, and tablets with records are removed from the palace archives. However, Kiya was not able to stay in power for long; after a few years she was expelled from the palace.
Nefertiti was survived by her husband; papyri have survived to this day confirming the queen’s participation in government. In the chronicles she is described as “insightful and omniscient,” and a fragment of a document has also been preserved confirming the courtship of a noble nobleman to her.
Unfortunately, Nefertiti’s grave has not been found, and scientists are still arguing about who was buried in the tomb at Akhenaten’s feet. The legend that a golden coffin with the remains of the queen was found in the 19th century has no reliable evidence. Author: Natalya Ivanova
Author - XP0H0METP. This is a quote from this post
Myths and Legends * NefertitiNefertiti
Bust of Queen Nefertiti. Berlin Museum
Wikipedia
Nefertiti(Nefer-Neferu-Aton Nefertiti, ancient Egypt. Nfr-nfr.w-Jtn-Nfr.t-jty, “The fairest of the beauties of Aten, the Beauty Has Come”) - the “main wife” of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty Akhenaten (c. 1351-1334 BC), whose reign was marked by large-scale religious reform. The role of the queen herself in carrying out the “sun-worshipping coup” is controversial.
Origin
Legends say that Egypt has never before given birth to such a beauty. She was called "Perfect"; her face adorned temples throughout the country.
From the beginning of research and excavations in the ruins of Akhetaten (modern Tel el-Amarna) in the 80s of the 19th century until now, not a single clear evidence of the origin of Nefertiti has been found. Only mentions on the walls of the tombs of the pharaoh's family and nobles provide some information about it. It was the inscriptions in the tombs and the cuneiform tablets of the Amarna archive that helped Egyptologists build several hypotheses about where the queen was born. In modern Egyptology there are several versions, each of which claims to be true, but is not sufficiently confirmed by sources to take a leading position.
In general, the views of Egyptologists can be divided into 2 versions: some consider Nefertiti an Egyptian, others - a foreign princess. The hypothesis that the queen was not of noble birth and accidentally appeared at the throne is now rejected by most Egyptologists.
Nefertiti - foreign princess
Supporters of the foreign origin of Nefertiti have two versions, supported by several arguments. It is believed that Nefertiti is a Mitannian princess sent to the court of Akhenaten's father, Pharaoh Amenhotep III. The then Mitanni king Tushratta (c. 1370 - c. 1350 BC) had 2 daughters: Gilukhepa (Giluhippa) and Taduhepa (English) (Taduhippa), both were sent to the court of the pharaoh. Some sources mention that Nefertiti's younger sister later became the wife of one of the subsequent pharaohs (perhaps Horemheb became her husband).
Gilukhepa arrived in Egypt during the life of Amenhotep III and was given in marriage to him. The idea that Gilukhepa could be Nefertiti is currently refuted by evidence of her age.
Younger sister Tadukhepa (English) arrived early in the reign of Amenhotep IV Akhenaten. In defense of their hypothesis, scientists cite the meaning of Nefertiti’s name “The Beautiful One Has Come,” which clearly indicates a foreign origin. It is believed that Princess Taduhepa, having arrived in Egypt, took a new name, as all foreign brides did. She was considered the daughter of the goddess of beauty.
Version about Egyptian origin
Initially, Egyptologists followed a simple logical chain. If Nefertiti is " main wife Pharaoh,” she must be an Egyptian, moreover, an Egyptian of royal blood. Therefore, it was initially believed that the queen was one of the daughters of Amenhotep III. But none of the lists of the daughters of this pharaoh contains any mention of a princess with that name. Among his 6 daughters there is no Nefertiti’s sister, Princess Mut-Nojemet (Benre-Mut).
Possibly the daughter of the nobleman Aye, one of Akhenaten’s associates, later pharaoh, and probably cousin Akhenaten.
Daughters
From Akhenaten she gave birth to six daughters.
Nefertiti's daughters
Meritaten (“beloved by Aten”): before the wedding or immediately after (1356 BC). After being removed from power, Nefertiti became Akhenaten's main wife.
Maketaten: year 1-3 (1349 BC).
Ankhesenpaaten (later changed her name to Ankhesenamun), married Tutankhamun, later became the wife of Ey.
Neferneferuaten-Tasherit (English) Russian: year 6 (1344 BC)
Nefernefrura (English) Russian: year 9 (1341 BC).
Setepenra (English) Russian: year 11 (1339 BC).
Reign and art of her era
The queen’s absence of a son, an heir to the royal throne, could have affected the deterioration of relations within royal family. The love of the royal couple became one of the main subjects for the artists of Akhetaton, the capital of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Never before in Egyptian art have there appeared works that so vividly demonstrate the feelings of royal spouses.
Nefertiti, " beauty, beautiful in a diadem with two feathers, mistress of joy, full of praise... full of beauties»with their spouse they look after their children; Nefertiti dangles her legs, climbing onto her husband's lap and holding her little daughter with her hand. One of the reliefs discovered in Akhetaten depicts the climax of this idyll - the kiss of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. On every stage there is always the presence of Aten - the solar disk with numerous hands holding out symbols to the royal couple of the ankhs eternal life.
Nefertiti played exclusively important role V religious life Egypt of that time, accompanying the spouse during sacrifices, sacred rites and religious festivals. She was the living embodiment of the life-giving power of the sun, giving life. In Gempaaton and Khutbenben - large temples of the god Aten in Thebes, prayers were offered to her; none of the temple activities could take place without it, the guarantee of fertility and prosperity of the entire country. " She sends Aten to rest with a sweet voice and beautiful hands with sistrams, - it is said about her in the inscriptions of the tombs of contemporary nobles, - at the sound of her voice they rejoice" The walls of the hall erected by Akhenaten in the 6th year of his reign in his capital for the celebration of the Sed ceremony were decorated with colossal sculptural images of Nefertiti, identified with the goddess Tefnut - the goddess of moisture, the daughter of the Sun-Ra, who stands for maintaining world harmony and divine law. In this incarnation, Nefertiti could be depicted as a sphinx, striking the enemies of Egypt with a club.
Possessing enormous power and authority, the queen was most often depicted in her favorite headdress - a tall blue wig entwined with gold ribbons and a uraeus, which symbolically emphasized her connection with the formidable goddesses, the daughters of the Sun.
In the 12th year of Akhenaten’s reign, the middle daughter of the royal couple, Princess Maketaton, dies, and soon Nefertiti herself disappears from the historical arena, possibly falling into disgrace; her place was taken by a minor queen from Akhenaten’s female house, Kiya, and later by Nefertiti’s eldest daughter, Meritaten.
By the 14th year of Akhenaten's reign (1336 BC), all mention of the queen disappeared. One of the statues discovered in the workshop of the sculptor Thutmose shows Nefertiti in her declining years. Before us is the same face, still beautiful, but time has already left its mark on it, leaving traces of weariness over the years, fatigue, even brokenness. The walking queen is dressed in a tight-fitting dress, with sandals on her feet. The figure that has lost the freshness of youth belongs no longer to a dazzling beauty, but to the mother of three daughters, who has seen and experienced a lot in her life.
In 1912, the German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt discovered a unique bust of Queen Nefertiti in the workshop of the sculptor Thutmose in el-Amarna, which has since become one of the symbols of the beauty and sophistication of ancient Egyptian culture.
Initially, her bust was discovered by the team of Egyptologist L. Borchard and taken to Germany (where it is now kept); to hide it from Egyptian customs they specially smeared it with plaster. In his archaeological diary, opposite the sketch of the monument, Borchardt wrote only one phrase: “There is no purpose in describing, you have to look.” Exported to Germany in 1913, the unique bust of the queen is kept in the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Berlin. Later in 1933, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture requested it back to Egypt, but Germany refused to return it, and then German Egyptologists were prohibited from archaeological excavations. Second World War and the persecution of Borchard's wife because of her Jewish origin prevented the archaeologist from continuing his research to the fullest extent. Egypt officially demands that Germany return the exported bust of Nefertiti.
Recently it was discovered that the bust of the beautiful Nefertiti has a late " plastic surgery» plaster. Initially molded with a “potato” nose, etc., it was later corrected and began to be considered the standard of Egyptian beauty. It is not yet known whether the original image of Nefertiti was closer to the original and later embellished, or, on the contrary, subsequent completion improved the inaccuracies of the original work... This can only be proven by studying the mummy of Nefertiti herself, if she is discovered.
Tomb
Nefertiti's mummy was not discovered or identified among the mummies already found.
Prior to genetic research in February 2010, Egyptologists had speculated that Nefertiti's mummy might be one of two female mummies found in tomb KV35, such as mummy KV35YL. However, in the light of new information, this hypothesis is rejected.
One of the archaeologists, who headed excavations in Akhetaten for a number of years, writes about the legend of the local residents. Allegedly, at the end of the 19th century, a group of people came down from the mountains carrying a golden coffin; soon after this, several gold objects with the name Nefertiti appeared among antique dealers. This information could not be verified.
Busts and figures of Nefertiti, Berlin, Egyptian Museum
Reign of Nefertiti
beginning of the 14th century BC
The legend of the most beautiful and happiest Egyptian queen, the beloved and only wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, has passed down through all the centuries to this day. But excavations of the 20th century led to the fact that the legends around the name of Nefertiti and her royal consorts grew. However, there is also reliable information about her life, love and death.
Nefertiti is not Egyptian, as is commonly believed. She came from the Mesopotamian state of Mitanni, the country of the Aryans. We can say that she came to Egypt from the Sun itself. The Aryans - Nefertiti's people - worshiped the sun. And with the appearance of a 15-year-old princess named Taduchepa on Egyptian soil, a new god came - Aten. Nefertiti's marriage to Pharaoh Amenhotep III was purely political. The young beauty was exchanged for a ton of jewelry, gold, silver and ivory and brought to the Egyptian city of Thebes. There they gave her a new name, Nefertiti, and gave her to the harem of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. After the death of his father, young Amenhotep IV inherited a foreign beauty. Pharaoh's love did not flare up immediately, but it did flare up. As a result, the young pharaoh dissolved his father's huge harem and declared his wife his co-ruler. Receiving foreign ambassadors and concluding important agreements, he swore by the spirit of the Sun God and his love for his wife.
Temple of Nefertiti (Egypt)
Nefertiti's husband entered the history of Egypt as one of the most humane rulers. Sometimes Amenhotep is portrayed as a weak, strange, sickly young man, obsessed with the ideas of general equality, peace and friendship between people and different nations. However, it was Amenhotep IV who carried out a bold religious reform. None of the 350 rulers who occupied the Egyptian throne had dared to do this before him.
A huge temple of Aten was built from white stone. Construction began on the new capital of Egypt - the city of Akhetaten (“Horizon of Aten”). It was founded in a picturesque valley between Thebes and Memphis. The inspirer of the new plans was the pharaoh's wife. Now the pharaoh himself was called Akhenaten, which means “Pleasing to Aten,” and Nefertiti was called “Nefer-Nefer-Aten.” This name is translated very poetically and symbolically - beautiful with the beauty of Aten, or, in other words, with a face similar to the sun.
Nefertiti
French archaeologists have reconstructed the appearance of the Egyptian queen: black eyebrows, strong-willed chin, full, gracefully curved lips. Her figure - fragile, miniature, but perfectly proportioned - is compared to a carved figurine. The queen wore expensive clothes, most often white transparent dresses made of thin linen. According to legend and many deciphered hieroglyphs, Nefertiti’s sunny beauty extended to her soul. She was sung as a gentle beauty, the favorite of the Sun, who pacified everyone with her mercy. The hieroglyphic inscriptions praise not only the queen's beauty, but also her divine ability to command respect. Nefertiti was called the “mistress of pleasures,” “pacifying heaven and earth with a sweet voice and kindness.”
Nefertiti
Akhenaten himself called his wife “the delight of his heart” and wished her to live “forever and ever.” The papyrus, where the teaching about the family of the wise pharaoh is recorded, tells about the ideal family happiness of the royal couple until their death. This myth traveled through time from the ancient Greeks to the Romans and became worldwide. The cordial relationship between the king and the queen was captured in dozens and hundreds of drawings and bas-reliefs. On one of the frescoes there is even one extremely bold and frank picture, which we can well call erotic. Akhenaten tenderly hugs and kisses Nefertiti on the mouth. This is the first depiction of love in the history of art.
Nefertiti and Akhenaten
But meticulous archaeologists got to the bottom of the tragedy, without which, it turns out, the life of the sun-like and happy Nefertiti could not have happened. And she had a rival in Ancient Egypt with her loving and wise husband.
The same hieroglyphs and images on the stone slabs. The king and queen were usually depicted as an inseparable couple. They were symbols of mutual respect and state concerns. The couple greeted noble guests together, prayed to the disk of the Sun together, and distributed gifts to their subjects.
But in 1931, in Amarna, the French found tablets with hieroglyphs on which the name Nefer-Nefer-Aten had been carefully scraped off, leaving only the name of the pharaoh. Then more surprising discoveries appeared. A limestone figure of Nefertiti’s daughter with her mother’s name destroyed, a profile of the queen herself with a royal headdress covered in paint. This could only be done by order of the pharaoh. Egyptologists came to the conclusion that drama occurred in the happy home of the pharaohs. A few years before Akhenaten's death, the family fell apart. Nefertiti was expelled from the palace, she now lived in country house and raised a boy destined to be the husband of her daughter, the future Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
Kia. That was the name of Nefertiti's rival
Under the images of the royal couple another female name, inscribed instead of Nefertiti. This name is Kiya. That was the name of Nefertiti's rival. The guess was also confirmed by a ceramic vessel with the names of Akhenaten and his new wife Kiya. Nefertiti was no longer listed there. Later, in 1957, they found an image of the new queen - a young face, wide cheekbones, regular arcs eyebrows, equanimity of the gaze. Features attractive only by the charm of youth... This woman could not become a legend, although she replaced a legendary woman and a loving wife in the arms of Akhenaten. She didn't just win the heart of the pharaoh. IN last years reign, he made Kiya the second (junior) pharaoh. A gold, luxuriously inlaid coffin was even made for her. But a year before his death, Akhenaten also alienated his second wife.
Nefertiti lived in disgrace until Tutankhamun ascended the throne. She died in Thebes. After the death of Akhenaten, the priests of Egypt returned to the old god. Together with the sun god Aten, the name of the sun-like Nefer-Nefer-Aten was cursed. That's why it was not included in the chronicles. Nefertiti's burial remains a mystery; apparently, it was modest. But the image of the queen remained to live in the fairy tales and legends of her people. The people left in them only beauty, harmony and happiness.
Nefertiti (Arthur Braginsky)
There is another, no less plausible version of Nefertiti’s life story, where the queen appears to us in a completely different image. This is an experienced in love, voluptuous and hard-hearted organizer of orgies, constantly looking for more and more new victims. This Nefertiti told the unfortunate young man in love with her a fable about a woman who did not want to be “despised.” Therefore, for her love, she demanded that her lover give her everything he has, drive away his wife, kill the children and throw their bodies to the dogs. He even had to give away the grave of his elderly parents and the right to embalm their bodies after death and funeral rituals. The queen not only told the story, she herself embodied the plot of the fable and, in the end, drove the unfortunate man away, rewarding him with cold intercourse, and not the fiery heat of her beautiful body.
This Nefertiti was no longer a victim of palace intrigue, but she herself fanned the fire of enmity in her wife Akhenaten, hated him, and wished him death. This Nefertiti is the royal hetaera of Egypt, wearing small sandals decorated with precious stones. Every year she gave daughters to the pharaoh, accusing him of not being able to have a son. She had a body that was virginally young and beautiful, insatiable and vicious.
These two Nefertiti are still arguing with each other. However, the Valley of the Kings still reliably keeps its beautiful and terrible secrets.
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And a great reformer. His wife is the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. The reign of this couple occurred during the Amarna period. What became famous for Akhenaten and Nefertiti during the short period of their reign? Among all the great queens of Egypt, only the name of the most beautiful and revered ruler remained in the hearing. It was not often that pharaohs allowed their wives to rule, but Nefertiti was not just a wife - during her lifetime she became a queen, whom they prayed for, whose mental capacity were extolled so highly. “Perfect” - that’s what her contemporaries called her, extolling her merits and beauty.
Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton)
Akhenaten should not have ruled Egypt because he had an older brother. But Tutnos died during his father’s reign, so Amenhotep became the legal heir. In the last years of his life, the pharaoh was seriously ill, and the opinion of historians comes down to the fact that the youngest son was a co-ruler at this time. However, it was not possible to establish how long such joint rule lasted.
After the death of his father, Amenhotep becomes pharaoh and begins to rule the country, which by this time had achieved great power and influence. Queen Teye, famous for her prudence and wisdom, helped her son in the early years. She skillfully directed his thoughts in the right direction and gave wise advice.
New religion
During the reign of the pharaoh, the cult of the Sun reached unprecedented heights. The previously not so popular Aten (sun god) becomes the center of the religion. Using new technologies, a grandiose temple is being built for the supreme deity. Aten himself is depicted as a man with the head of a falcon. God was given the status of a pharaoh, the boundary between Amenhotep and the sun was erased. To top it off, he changes his name to Akhenaten, which means “useful to the Aten.” All family members, as well as the most important dignitaries, were also renamed.
In order to establish a new deity, a new town. First of all, a huge palace was built for the pharaoh. He did not wait for the completion of construction and moved along with the entire court from Thebes. The temple for Aten was built immediately after the palace. Residential areas and other structures for residents were built from inexpensive materials, while the palace and temple were made of white stone.
Pharaoh's wives. Nefertiti
Akhenaten's first wife was Nefertiti. They married before his accession to the throne. On the question of at what age did the pharaohs take girls as wives: they became brides from the age of 12-15. Future husband Nefertiti was several years older than her. The girl was unusually pretty, her name literally translates as “the beauty has come.” This may indicate that the pharaoh's first wife was not Egyptian. It has not yet been possible to find confirmation of its foreign origin. His wife supported Akhenaten in everything; she contributed to the elevation of Aten to the rank of the highest deity. There are many more images of her on the walls of the temple than of the pharaoh himself. His wife could not give him a son: during their marriage she gave birth to six daughters.
Nefertiti raised the son of Akhenaten's sister. He would later become the husband of one of her daughters, Ankhesenpaaten, and rule Egypt under the name Tutankhamun. The girl will change her name to Ankhesenamon. One of the daughters of the royal solar couple will die in childhood, the other will be married to her brother. The fate of the rest of the story is unknown.
Nefertiti and Akhenaten appeared together everywhere. Her greatness and importance can be judged by the fact that she was allowed to accompany her husband during sacrifices. They prayed to her in the temples of Aten, and all actions were carried out exclusively in her presence. During her lifetime, she became a symbol of the prosperity of all of Egypt. There are many frescoes and statues of this the most beautiful woman. On the walls of the Akhenaten Palace there are many joint images of the pharaoh and his wife. They are captured at the moment of a kiss, with children on their laps; there are separate images of daughters. None of the wives of the pharaohs of Egypt received such honors as this person.
The decline of Queen Nefertiti's popularity
Now no one can say what caused her disappearance from the political arena and the family life of the pharaoh. Probably, after the death of their daughter, the spouses’ relationship to each other changed. Or Akhenaten could not forgive the beauty for the lack of an heir. Evidence of her life after her reign is a statue depicting Nefertiti in old age. Still beautiful, but already broken by years and adversity, the woman was forever frozen in a tight dress and light sandals. Undoubtedly, the rejection of her husband broke her and left its mark on the royal face. Nefertiti's tomb has not yet been discovered, which may confirm the assumption of her disfavor. Perhaps she outlived her husband, but they did not bury her with honors.
Kiya
Queen Nefertiti was replaced by the not so beautiful and majestic Kiya. Presumably, she married the pharaoh in the fifth year of his reign. There is also no reliable information about its origin. One version says that the girl was the wife of Akhenaten’s father and after her death she passed on to the young pharaoh. There are no historical references to her high position at court and any participation in the reign of the pharaoh. It is known that Kiya gave birth to a daughter. This is where the story of the Pharaoh's wife ends. Judging by the fact that her name was removed from the temple walls, the woman was disgraced. The burial of this pharaoh's wife was not discovered. There are also no guesses or facts about the fate of her daughter.
Taduhepa
This pharaoh's wife also became his inheritance. The girl came to Egypt from Mitanni at the request of Amenhotep III. He chose her as his bride, but died shortly after her arrival. Akhenaten made Tadukhepa his wife. Some scientists and researchers believe that Nefertiti or Kiya bore this name before her reign, but no evidence has been found for this theory. A message from her father Tushratta to her future husband has been preserved, in which he negotiates imminent marriage daughters. But this does not confirm the fact that the princess existed as a separate person. Historians also found no mention of joint children.
Death of the Pharaoh
How Akhenaten died has not yet been established. There are paintings that depict an assassination attempt on the pharaoh through poisoning. However, his mummy is required to establish the cause of death. Only the tomb was discovered in the family crypt. There was no body inside, and she herself was practically destroyed. Scientists are still debating whether the male mummy from tomb KV55 is Akhenaten.
Someone tried to keep this a secret by knocking off the name on the sarcophagus and tearing off the mask. DNA testing established that the body belongs to one of Tutankhamun's close relatives. But this could be Smenkhkare, who was also of the same blood as the pharaohs. It is not yet possible to establish the exact origin of the mummy, but archaeologists do not lose hope of finding new tombs and royal bodies.