At birth, she was named Nefertiti, which means "beauty who has come." Agree, it’s rather risky to call a girl by that name, what if she grows up ugly? But the Egyptian priests, by the eternal course of the stars, guessed the fate of the newborn and, in accordance with this, gave a name. The girl's father was a priest, and he was not mistaken with the name. At the age of 15, Nefertiti became the wife of Amenhotep, the son and heir of the pharaoh.
In 1364 BC, Amenhotep ascended the throne. And Nefertiti, together with her husband, ruled Egypt for almost 20 years. These years shook the entire social and religious structure of the country.
Amenhotep IV, like many pharaohs before him, believed that the priestly caste, based on the cults of the ancient gods, led by Amun, the patron god of Thebes, seized too much power in the country. But he was the first who dared to change the order of things. With one blow, having made a "coup in heaven", the pharaoh knocked out a support from the Theban usurpers. From now on, not just the supreme, but the only god was Aton, the deity of the life-giving solar disk. God, who is not somewhere in Thebes, but right here, right above your head.
It was the first monotheism in the history of mankind. And next to the pharaoh who established it, was she, Nefertiti. However, now she had a second name. She took him in honor of the one god. If Amenhotep IV became Akhenaten - that is, "pleasing to the Aten", then she is Neferneferuaten, which means "beautiful beauties of the solar disk."
Wonder in Wonderland
Akhenaten ordered the temples of the old gods to be closed, all their images to be destroyed, and temple property to be confiscated. In Middle Egypt he founded a new capital. It was surprising even for this wonderland: among the lifeless rocks and sand, like a beautiful mirage, as if overnight, a city with majestic palaces, gardens, blue ponds, in which huge lotuses swayed. The city was called Akhetaten - "the sky of the Aten". "Great charm, pleasing beauty to the eyes" - that's what his contemporaries called him. And among all this splendor, rising to the solar disk, the walls of the royal palace in which she lived - "the lady of Upper and Lower Egypt", "the wife of God" and "the decoration of the king" - rose.
Gentle and powerful
Every morning, with the first rays of the sun, she, accompanied by numerous priests and priestesses, went out into the garden and, turning her face to the east, raising her hands to the rising disk, sang hymns to the great Aton, which she composed herself.
But at the same time, she, who composed touching poems about a weak, just emerging life, was considered the earthly incarnation of the formidable lion-headed goddess Tefnut, the daughter of the sun, punishing those who transgressed the law. She was depicted not only with beautiful hands raised to the sun, but also clutching a formidable club. Indeed, this gentle woman was adamant when it came to matters of state, the pharaoh himself did not contradict her.
Beloved and happy
Never before on the steles, walls, obelisks did they depict the private life of the pharaohs. However, the new religion broke the fetters of heavy centuries-old canons from art. And even now, after more than three thousand years, we can see not only scenes of official ceremonies, but also privacy kings in their family chambers. Here they are sitting at home with their children, the queen is still young, but she already has six daughters. But - an unheard of thing - the queen climbed on the king's knees and dangles her legs, holding her little daughter with her hand. And here is a bas-relief depicting a long and passionate (you can feel it!) Kiss of Nefertiti and Akhenaten.
And yet she was not happy. This happened thousands of times before Nefertiti and thousands of times after her. Every morning she sang to the Aton, who "revives the son in the womb of his mother ...", and every night she prayed to him for a son. But the queen gave birth to six daughters, and not once did Aton “revive” a boy in her womb.
Akhenaten, on the other hand, needed an heir who would ensure the succession of power and complete the work of his life - strengthen monotheism. As the years passed, the pharaoh, seized by the mania for having an heir, seemed to be slowly losing his mind. Hoping that a son would be born, he married one of his daughters, then another. And what? Both daughters gave birth to their own father another daughter.
And soon the queen had a rival, her name was Keie. It was she who became the second wife of the pharaoh, brought him two boys - Smenkhkare and Tutankhamen.
The disgraced Nefertiti lived alone in a small palace. A full-length statue of her, made at the end of her life, has been preserved. All the same beautiful features, but is it really the one who was called the "mistress of joy"? Fatigue, disappointment on the face and at the same time stubbornness in a proudly thrown head, greatness in all appearance, so much quiet perseverance and dignity ...
And legends.
Knows very little about her. It is known that she was considered one of the most beautiful women of his time. But who was she really and why did the mention of her suddenly disappear?
We will try to find answers to these interesting questions in this article.
Queen of Egypt
Queen Nefertiti was the "main wife" of Pharaoh Amenhotep 4, better known as Akhenaten. She ruled with her husband in the period 1370-1330. BC e.
It is worth noting that we know very little about Nefertiti. Until now, no reliable evidence of its true origin has been found.
The mention of the queen can only be found on the walls of the tombs of members of the pharaoh's family and some of his associates.
In 1912, Ludwig Borchardt, during archaeological excavations, discovered the workshop of the sculptor Tutmes.
This conclusion was made due to the fact that in this place there were a lot of various rocks, plaster masks, unfinished sculptures and several artifacts with the name of Thutmes himself.
When a bust of a girl was found in one of the rooms, made in life size, Borchardt decided to illegally take it out of Egypt.
Bust of Nefertiti - one of the most famous finds of Ludwig Borchardt He managed to achieve his goal, and in 1920 the find was in the Berlin Museum. This was the bust of Queen Nefertiti.
Ever since the world learned about this mysterious historical personality, are still being debated.
Origin of Nefertiti
There are several versions of the origin of Nefertiti.
- Most Egyptologists think that Nefertiti was an Egyptian.
- Another group of scientists is convinced that she was a foreign princess.
- Some researchers believe that the queen was the daughter of Tushratta, the ruler of Mitanni.
Nefertiti deliberately changed her real name Taduhippa when she married Amenhotep 3.
According to the information received, she became a widow back in early age. Her next husband was Amenhotep 4, who was the son of her late husband. He agreed to marry the queen because of her incredible beauty.
In many ways, this story confirms the hypothesis that Nefertiti was indeed an Egyptian, since girls of royal blood usually became the spouses of the pharaohs.
However, she could be the daughter of a pharaoh or one of the dignitaries.
In addition to her attractiveness, Queen Nefertiti was a kind and merciful woman. She knew how to win over ordinary people, as a result of which the Egyptians bowed before her and sang about her in poems and myths.
Nefertiti and Akhenaten
Having carefully studied the found artifacts, scientists came to the conclusion that the marriage of Nefertiti and Akhenaten was very strong. The pharaoh became famous for having carried out serious religious reforms.
Instead of polytheism, he introduced monotheism (monotheism), building new temples to worship the only "correct" god - Amun-Ra.
Standing figure of Nefertiti But having decided to worship one deity, he had to persuade the whole people to this, which was very difficult.
To do this, Akhenaten needed an intelligent and reliable like-minded person, whom the pharaoh acquired in the person of the beautiful Nefertiti.
The queen helped her husband to change the minds of the population of Ancient Egypt. Akhenaten did not hesitate to publicly consult with his wife on various issues.
It is not surprising that sculptures of this woman could be seen in any Egyptian city.
Of course, Nefertiti had many opponents, but none of them dared to oppose her openly.
On the contrary, those who turned to her with any requests preferred to give her expensive gifts.
But since the queen had wisdom and insight, she helped only those whom her husband trusted.
Concubine for husband
Despite political successes, family life The queen was in serious trouble. She managed to give birth to her husband of six children, but they were all female.
Naturally, Akhenaten, like any ruler ancient world, dreamed of an heir, so he soon had a concubine Kia. And although there was no enmity between the pharaoh and Nefertiti because of this, there was never any previous relationship between them.
Some Egyptologists suggest that it was Nefertiti who suggested that Amenhotep take Kiu as his concubine so that she would give birth to a boy.
If this is true, then the queen deserves even more respect. Because caring about the future of her state, she sacrificed her personal life.
Exile and death
When Akhenaten died, one of their daughters was given in marriage to the young Tutankhamen. Soon he canceled all the religious reforms of the previous pharaoh, and the people again returned to their former religious customs.
However, Nefertiti remained devoted to the ideas of her late husband, and was in exile until the end of her days. V last years life, she asked to be buried in the tomb of Akhenaten, but her mummy was not found there.
To date, it is not known exactly where Queen Nefertiti was buried.
Akhenaten, Nefertiti and their three daughters The name of this great woman forever went down in history, and is still associated with something beautiful and pure. In German and Egyptian museums one can see sculptural portraits Nefertiti found at Amarna in 1912
In 1995, a landmark exhibition dedicated to the history of Egypt was held in Berlin. It featured sculptures of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, who met again after thousands of years.
The image of the queen has become one of the most popular in the history of art. The beautiful Nefertiti left behind many secrets that may be revealed in the future.
Archaeological excavations are still ongoing in Egypt, and who knows what other surprises await us ahead.
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Myths and Legends * NefertitiNefertiti
Bust of Queen Nefertiti. Berlin Museum
Wikipedia
Nefertiti(Nefer-Neferu-Aton Nefertiti, other Egyptian. Nfr-nfr.w-Jtn-Nfr.t-jty, “The most beautiful beauty of the Aton, the Beauty Has Come”) is the “main wife” of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the XVIII dynasty Akhenaten (c. 1351-1334 BC), whose reign was marked by a large-scale religious reform. The role of the queen herself in carrying out the “solar-worshiping coup” is debatable.
Origin
Legends say that never before has Egypt produced such a beauty. She was called "Perfect"; her face adorned temples all over the country.
From the beginning of research and excavations in the ruins of Akhetaton (modern Tel el-Amarna) in the 80s of the 19th century, no clear evidence of the origin of Nefertiti has been found to date. Only mentions on the walls of the tombs of the pharaoh's family and nobles give some information about her. 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. There are several versions in modern Egyptology, 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 - a 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 king of Mitanni Tushratta (c. 1370 - c. 1350 BC) had 2 daughters: Giluhepa (Giluhippa) and Taduhepa (English) (Taduhippa), both were sent to the court of the pharaoh. Some sources mention that the younger sister Nefertiti later became the wife of one of the subsequent pharaohs (perhaps Horemheb became her husband).
Giluhepa arrived in Egypt during the life of Amenhotep III and was given in marriage to him. The version that Gilukhepa could be Nefertiti is currently refuted by evidence of her age.
Taduhepa's younger sister arrived early in the reign of Amenhotep IV Akhenaten. In defense of their hypothesis, scientists cite the meaning of the name Nefertiti “The Beautiful Came”, clearly indicating a foreign origin. It is believed that Princess Taduhepa, having arrived in Egypt, adopted a new name, as all foreign brides did. She was considered the daughter of the goddess of beauty.
Version of the Egyptian origin
Initially, Egyptologists followed a simple logical chain. If Nefertiti is the "chief wife of the 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 sister of Nefertiti - Princess Mut-Nodzhemet (Benre-Mut).
Possibly the daughter of the nobleman Aye, one of Akhenaten's associates, later pharaoh, and probably Akhenaten's cousin.
daughters
From Akhenaten she gave birth to six daughters.
Daughters of Nefertiti
Meritaten ("beloved by Aten"): before the wedding or immediately after. (1356 BC). After the removal from power, Nefertiti became the main wife of Akhenaten.
Maketaton: year 1-3 (1349 BC).
Ankhesenpaaten (later changed her name to Ankhesenamun), married Tutankhamun, later became the wife of Eye.
Neferneferuaten-tasherite (English) Russian: year 6 (1344 BC)
Neferneferre (English) Russian: year 9 (1341 BC).
Setepenra (English) Russian: year 11 (1339 BC).
Reign and the art of her era
The Queen's Absence of a Son-Heir royal throne, could affect the deterioration of relationships within royal family. The love of the royal couple has become one of the main subjects for the artists of Akhenaten, the capital of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Never before in Egyptian art have there been works that so vividly demonstrate the feelings of the royal spouses.
Nefertiti, beauty, beautiful in a diadem with two feathers, mistress of joy, full of praises ... full of beauties» with a spouse sit with 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 each stage, there is always the Aton - a solar disk with numerous hands holding out symbols to the royal couple of ankhs. eternal life.
Nefertiti played an extremely important role in religious life Egypt of that time, accompanying the spouse during sacrifices, sacred rites and religious festivities. She was a living embodiment of the life-giving power of the sun, giving life. In Gempaaten and Khutbenben, the great temples of the god Aten in Thebes, prayers were offered to her; none of the temple activities could take place without her, the guarantee of fertility and prosperity of the whole country. " She sends Aten to rest with a sweet voice and beautiful hands with sisters, - it is said about her in the inscriptions of the tombs of contemporary nobles, - at the sound of her voice rejoice". The walls of the hall erected by Akhenaten in the 6th year of his reign in his capital to celebrate 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, standing on the maintenance of world harmony and divine law. In this hypostasis, Nefertiti could be depicted as a sphinx striking the enemies of Egypt with a club.
Possessing great power and authority, the queen was most often depicted in her favorite headdress - a high 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 the reign of Akhenaten, 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 the secondary queen from the female house of Akhenaten - Kiya, and later - the eldest daughter of Nefertiti - Meritaton.
By the 14th year of the reign of Akhenaten (1336 BC), all mention of the queen disappears. 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 dress, with sandals on her feet. The figure, which has lost the freshness of youth, no longer belongs 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 beauty and sophistication of ancient Egyptian culture.
Initially, her bust was discovered by the team of the Egyptologist L. Borchard and taken to Germany (where it is now stored); to hide it from the Egyptian customs, it was specially smeared with plaster. In his archaeological diary, opposite the sketch of the monument, Borchardt wrote only one phrase: "It is pointless to describe - you have to look." Taken 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 demanded it back to Egypt, but Germany refused to return it, then the German Egyptologists were prohibited from excavating. Second World War and the persecution of Borchard's wife because of her Jewish heritage prevented the archaeologist from continuing his research to the fullest. Egypt officially demands the return of the exported bust of Nefertiti from Germany.
It was recently discovered that the bust of the beautiful Nefertiti has a late "plastic surgery" with 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 vice versa, the subsequent completion improved the inaccuracies of the original work ... Only a study of the mummy of Nefertiti herself, if it is discovered, can prove this.
Tomb
The mummy of Nefertiti was not discovered or identified among the mummies already found.
Prior to genetic research in February 2010, Egyptologists speculated that Nefertiti's mummy could be one of two female mummies found in tomb KV35, such as the KV35YL mummy. However, in the light of new information, this hypothesis is rejected.
One of the archaeologists, who for a number of years led the excavations in Akhetaton, writes about the legend of the locals. Allegedly, at the end of the 19th century, a group of people descended from the mountains, carrying a golden coffin; soon after that, several gold items with the name of Nefertiti appeared in antiquaries. This information could not be verified.
Busts and figures of Nefertiti, Berlin, Egyptian Museum
Reign of Nefertiti
early 14th century BC
To this day, through all the centuries there has been a legend about the most beautiful and happiest Egyptian queen, the beloved and only wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. But the excavations of the 20th century led to the fact that the legends around the name of Nefertiti and her royal spouses grew. However, there is also reliable information about her life, love and death.
Nefertiti is not an 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. Aryans - the people of Nefertiti - worshiped the sun. And with the appearance on Egyptian soil of a 15-year-old princess named Taduchepa, he came and new god- Aten. The marriage of Nefertiti with 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 called her the new name of Nefertiti and gave her to the harem of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. After the death of his father, young Amenhotep IV received a foreign beauty by inheritance. Pharaoh's love did not flare up immediately, but it flared 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 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.
From white stone a huge temple to the Aten was built. Construction started new capital Egypt - the city of Akhetaten ("Horizon of the Aten"). It was founded in a picturesque valley between Thebes and Memphis. The inspirer of the new plans was the wife of the pharaoh. Now the pharaoh himself was called Akhenaten, which means "Pleasant to the Aten", and Nefertiti - "Nefer-Nefer-Aton". This name is translated very poetically and symbolically - the beautiful beauty of Aten, or, in other words, the face is similar to the sun.
Nefertiti
French archaeologists have restored the appearance of the Egyptian queen: black eyebrows, strong-willed chin, full, gracefully curved lips. Her figure - fragile, miniature, but beautifully built - is compared with a carved statuette. The queen wore expensive clothes, most often they were white transparent dresses made of thin linen. According to legend and according to many deciphered hieroglyphs, the sunny beauty of Nefertiti extended to her soul. She was sung as a gentle beauty, the favorite of the Sun, who pacified everyone with her mercy. Hieroglyphic inscriptions praise not only the beauty of the queen, but also her divine ability to command respect. Nefertiti was called the "mistress of amenities", "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". In the papyrus, where the teaching about the family of the wise pharaoh is recorded, it tells about the ideal family happiness royal couple until death. This myth wandered in 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 painting, which we can quite call erotic. Akhenaten gently embraces and kisses Nefertiti on the lips. 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 do. And she had a rival in ancient Egypt with a loving and wise husband.
All the same hieroglyphs and images on stone slabs helped archaeologists to find out this secret. The king and queen were usually depicted as inseparable couple. They were symbols of mutual respect and state concerns. The couple met noble guests together, prayed together to the disk of the Sun, distributed gifts to their subjects.
But in 1931, in Amarna, the French found tablets with hieroglyphs, on which someone carefully scraped off the name Nefer-Nefer-Aton, leaving only the name of the pharaoh. More surprising finds followed. The limestone figure of the daughter of Nefertiti with the mother's name destroyed, the profile of the queen herself with the royal headdress plastered with paint. This could only be done by order of the pharaoh. Egyptologists have come to the conclusion that a drama took place in the happy home of the pharaohs. A few years before the death of Akhenaten, the family broke up. Nefertiti was expelled from the palace, she now lived in country house and raised a boy destined for the husband of her daughter - the future pharaoh Tutankhamen.
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 ceramic vessel with the names of Akhenaten and his new wife Kiya also confirmed the guess. Nefertiti was no longer listed there. Later, in 1957, they found an image of the new queen - a young face, wide cheekbones, regular arches of the eyebrows, and a calm look. Features that are 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 not only won the heart of the pharaoh. In the last years of his reign, he made Kiya the second (youngest) pharaoh. A golden, 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 the accession to the throne of Tutankhamun. She died in Thebes. After the death of Akhenaten, the priests of Egypt returned to the old god. Together with the god of the Sun - Aton, the name of the sun-like Nefer-Nefer-Aton was cursed. Therefore, it was not included in the annals. The burial of Nefertiti remains a mystery, apparently, it was modest. But the image of the queen remained alive 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 the life story of Nefertiti, where the queen appears before us in a completely different way. This is an experienced in love, voluptuous and hard-hearted organizer of orgies, constantly looking for more and more new victims. This Nefertiti told a fable about a woman who did not want to be "contemptible" in love with her, an unfortunate young man. Therefore, for her love, she demanded that her lover give her everything he had, drive his wife away, 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, she herself embodied the plot of the fable and, in the end, drove the unfortunate man away, rewarding him with cold intercourse, and not with the fiery heat of her beautiful body.
This Nefertiti was no longer a victim of palace intrigues, but she herself fanned the fire of enmity in her wife Akhenaten, hated him, wished him death. This Nefertiti is the royal hetaira of Egypt, wearing small sandals adorned with precious stones. Every year she gave the pharaoh daughters, accusing him of the fact that he could not have a son. She had a body virginally young and beautiful, insatiable and vicious.
These two Nefertiti are still arguing with each other. However, the Valley of the Kings still keeps its beautiful and terrible secrets.
Original entry and comments on
The name Nefertiti has long been associated with most people with the ideal female beauty and grace. Plastic surgeons copy for their clients the cuts of her eyes and the shape of her face, while fashionistas try to repeat her makeup. However, judging by the found mummy, which probably belongs to the great queen, her appearance was not so beautiful ...
Once upon a time, many years ago, I first saw the bust of Nefertiti and was struck by her almost alien beauty. Unfortunately, at that time there was little real information in the press - more and more about her husband, the famous heretic pharaoh Akhenaten. Now, after the lapse of years, we can learn much more about it, but still very little. We do not even know where and when she was born, we do not know how many years she lived and why she died. It is not surprising - three millennia have flown by since then, papyrus scrolls have decayed, stone has crumbled, empires have disappeared without a trace, rivers have changed their course, and the fact that we know more about Nefertiti than just a name is already a miracle in itself.
She was a great queen and bore Akhenaten six daughters. You can name each daughter - Meritaten, Maketaten, Ankhesenpaaten, Neferneferuaten-tasherit, Neferneferura and Setepenra, but does listing the names tell us something about her? Many of her statues and images adorned temples, often she was painted next to her husband, often with her family and even defeating the enemies of Egypt - only the pharaohs themselves were usually painted like this.
She reached the pinnacle of power by the 12th year of the reign of Akhenaten, when we read about her in the inscriptions not just as the main wife, but as the co-ruler of her royal husband. Shortly thereafter, her daughter Maketaton died of an illness, and literally a year or two later, all mentions of the name Nefertiti disappear. A version was put forward - the queen died during a plague epidemic. However, until recently, the main assumption was that Nefertiti simply fell out of favor, with the rise of one of the younger wives of Pharaoh Kiya. Historians considered Nefertiti's inability to give birth to an heir the reason for the disgrace. The next wife of the pharaoh after Kiya was his own daughter from Nefertiti Meritaten, and almost all mention of Kiya was destroyed.
Perhaps it was the daughter's revenge for her mother. But Meritaton herself could not give birth to her father a boy, only mentions of two daughters from this marriage are known. However, assumptions about the disgrace of Nefertiti were recently refuted by the discovery in 2012 of a half-erased inscription relating to the 16th year of the reign of Akhenaten (his reign lasted 17 years), where there was the following line: “The great wife of the pharaoh, his beloved, the lady of both lands (upper and lower Egypt) Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti. This meant that Nefertiti's status as a great wife (queen) remained unshakable, despite the pharaoh's marriage to Kiya and her own daughter. There is reason to believe that Nefertiti survived her husband and even ruled for another two years under the name of Pharaoh Neferneferuaten.
With the accession to the throne of Akhenaten's heir Tutankhamun, the priesthood launched an all-out attack on the heritage of the heretic pharaoh. The temples of the Aten were destroyed or abandoned, references to Akhenaten were destroyed, inscriptions were erased, steles were destroyed. At the same time, probably, the tombs of the pharaoh and his royal wife were defiled or even destroyed.
I inform you that the mummies of Nefertiti and Akhenaten have been found. The destruction of inscriptions on tombs, ritual objects - from the point of view of the priests, revenge is quite sufficient. Indeed, in their names there was a mention of the god Aten. They took revenge not so much on the pharaoh as on his god Aten, returning the cult of the old gods. The destruction of the mummies of royal persons themselves, whose divine origin was beyond doubt, was an unheard of sacrilege even in relation to a heretic pharaoh.
The discovery of the mummy of Nefertiti was reported ten years ago by Joanne Fletcher. According to the mummy, a reconstruction of the alleged appearance of Nefertiti was made. I will not talk about the stormy reaction of the Egyptological community to this discovery. I will say that many did not agree with her, everyone was looking forward to the results of the DNA examination, to which the Egyptian authorities did not give consent for a long time. Only in February 2010, the examination was carried out, but its results were not widely covered in the media. The mummy turned out to be the daughter of Amenhotep III and his wife Queen Tiyya (father and mother of Akhenaten) and the mother of Tutankhamen. Most Egyptologists agreed that the mummy belongs to one of Akhenaten's wives.
Egyptologists interpret these results in different ways - some see this as only confirmation that Nefertiti was the sister of her husband, since her title confirms this, others deny her such an opportunity - after all, Nefertiti is nowhere directly mentioned as the daughter of Amenhotep III. I am inclined to accept the first point of view on this issue, since it is possible that one of the names of Nefertiti is still on the list of the pharaoh's daughters - we just do not yet know that this name belongs to her. But that's not all - DNA analysis of one of the male mummies of the same burial showed that it belongs to the father of Tutankhamun and the son of Amenhotep III, that is, quite likely, Akhenaten himself! So, Nefertiti still bore him a son - he became her seventh child.
So, the most famous royal couple in history ancient egypt found (with varying degrees of probability). However, in the same 2010, the study of the alleged mummy of Nefertiti gave another unexpected discovery. The mummy was significantly damaged, as it was believed, by tomb robbers. The attention of researchers was attracted by damage to the head of the mummy - her cheeks, mouth and jaw. The study showed that the wound was inflicted while alive and turned out to be fatal. Nefertiti was killed. By whom?
Probably those who benefited from it, who put the young Tutankhamun in power and ruled instead of him. This is the dignitary of Akhenaten Eye, who, after the sudden death of the young pharaoh, became the pharaoh himself, marrying his wife Ankhesenamon (Ankhesenpaaten, daughter of Nefertiti).
The story of Nefertiti could be completed here. But the research again surprises. The well-known painted bust of Nefertiti, after a tomography performed not so long ago, revealed another secret. It turned out that the stone bust, covered with a thin layer of plaster, had undergone minor adjustments. Wrinkles were removed, the shape of the cheekbones was emphasized, and most noticeable, the shape of the nose was changed.
The original sculpture has a slight hump on the nose and a small saddle below it, which makes the tip of the nose slightly snub-nosed. Exactly these specific traits we can observe at the alleged mummy of Nefertiti.
All known sculptures of the queen have been found in the workshop of Thutmose at Amarna. Usually, speaking of Nefertiti, the material is illustrated by the two most famous images - the famous bust made of painted limestone and a small head made of quartzite. We will be able to see a few more statues of our heroine, less known. But that's not all. After all, you wonder if her body was as beautiful as her face?
In the summer of 2003, a scandal erupted. Two Hungarian artists created a nude bronze statue as "a model of Nefertiti's physical beauty", they claimed, from actual ancient reliefs of her. The reconstructed "body" and the famous bust of the queen were combined and exhibited in the Berlin Museum. The Egyptian Antiquities Service, headed by Dr. Zahi Hawass, protested, in their opinion, such an image insulted the Egyptian queen, and the handling of a unique ancient bust was called barbarism, bordering on vandalism.
In fact, the artists who presented the queen in an image close to the canons of modern top models clearly flattered Nefertiti. Judge for yourself, how could the queen, the ruler of millions of subjects, who did not know physical effort, diet and moved on a palanquin, look like? Thin shins, fat thighs, a round tummy and a rather big ass are provided with this lifestyle. If we remember the swan neck of Nefertiti stretched forward, then stoop can also be added to the portrait.
You do not like? Well, don't look at the photos of Nefertiti's sculptures and you won't be disappointed. On one of them is the body of a young beauty, slightly covered with a thin transparent cloth. But not everyone knows that there is also a statue of an aged, middle-aged Nefertiti. Time has left traces on her face, her eyes are tired and sad, but despite all this, she is still beautiful.
Nefertiti means "The beautiful one has come." She came into this world and brought her incredible beauty into it. And three thousand years later we still bow our heads before her regal beauty.
Young Lady" from KV35, supposed mummy of Nefertiti
Color photo of a mummy
Reconstruction of the image of Nefertiti on the mummy
The results of a tomographic study of the limestone bust of Nefertiti
Reconstruction of the image of Nefertiti after tomography of the bust
The German bandit looks at his crime." So this illustration was signed in an article on the front page of the Egyptian state newspaper. The article itself is called - "Queen Nefertiti was exposed in the Berlin Museum." In fact, the body on the bronze statue was covered with a thin cloth, just like on other real statues of Nefertiti.
Torso of young Nefertiti(?)
Back view
Elderly Nefertiti
From the facts of the biography of this famous beauty, one can confidently speak only about her education, eccentricity and intelligence. Everything else about the Egyptian princess Nefertiti is worth questioning. There are several good reasons for this. First, the events took place a long time ago. Secondly, after her death, the priests who hated her not only mutilated her body, but also many things that reminded her of her. These two reasons are quite enough to doubt all the information about her that has survived to this day.
Harem girl
Long ago, somewhere in 1370 BC, the Egyptian princess Nefertiti was born into a noble family in the city of Mitannia. But then she was just a girl named Taduchela. At 12, she is sent to the harem of Amenhotep III. In noble families, this was considered good form. And, of course, they got a lot of money for it.
Other researchers speak of her as a native Egyptian who was the daughter of one of the associates of Amenhotep III. However, in her new name Nefertiti, history sees evidence that she came to Egypt.
Rise of Nifertiti
Soon Amenhotep III dies and all his concubines, among other valuables, passed to his heir Amehontep IV. The meeting with him became fateful for Taduchela. After that, her bright life begins:
- Amenhotep marries her. Now her name is Nefertiti, which means "beauty has come."
- There is a version that she was a relative of her husband. This may also be true, since kings often married relatives so as not to violate the purity of the blood.
- Amenhotep IV was not only deeply in love with his wife. Nefertiti, the queen of the Nile, was allowed to resolve state issues.
- His love for her and her popularity in Egypt is evidenced by the fact that images of her are much more common than those of her husband. Confirm his love and found texts with his appeal to his wife.
Note. Amenhotep begins his reign with a major religious reform. He practically abandons the Egyptian gods and creates a cult of the single god Aten.
This was a real blow to the power of the priests, with whom he did not want to share it. Some historians argue that it was the Egyptian queen Nefertiti who was the reason for this reform, because it was customary for Aten to be worshiped in her homeland. But this information has not been confirmed.
New reform
The new religion did not deny other deities, but proclaimed Aten the supreme deity and Amenhotep his protege on earth.
So:
- It seems strange that Amenhotep, who decided on such great changes in the country, did nothing for so long, when the neighbors on the outskirts of Egypt oppressed the Egyptians and claimed their lands.
- The capital was moved from Thebes. New temples and palaces were built. To worship the Aten, large temples with open colonnades were built. After all, it was impossible to worship the sun god Aten in small and dark temples in Thebes. The priests were angry.
- Nefertiti, the queen of Egypt, was everywhere next to her husband. She could be there even when he was solving military issues on the ground. He could consult with her in public and did not hide it. It was the time of her high flight.
- The first daughter was desired and loved. Then the second, third... A lot of drawings that have survived to this day, depicting spouses playing with children, speak of a happy family.
Note. Smart and beautiful, Nefertiti, apparently, could change a lot in the life of Amenhotep and even Egypt. But she could not argue with fate.
good luck sunset
The human age in those days in Egypt was not long. The 40-year milestone was already considered a respectful age. We needed an heir to whom the reign could be transferred. This question was extremely important for any ruler:
- Queen Nefertiti of Egypt gives birth to children one after another. There are 6 of them, but ... only daughters.
- Amenhotep must extend the masculine gender, no matter what. And Nefertiti is removed from her husband's life. A palace is being built for her in the north of the city.
- Amenhotep marries their common daughter. Some historians argue that this was part of Nefertiti's plan to preserve her husband and power, she insisted on marriage. This is quite similar to the truth. In Egypt, pharaohs often married or had relations with relatives.
- But luck has already turned away from Nefertiti. After several years of the second marriage, the young wife gives birth to Amenhotep's daughter, he is furious.
- Amenhotep marries a commoner who immediately gives birth to his son, the future Tutankhamun.
- But no one compares to Nefertiti. And he insists on her return. His son's mother quickly bores him, and she returns to the harem.
- Egyptian Queen Nefertiti returns, but it's too late. Past feelings can not be returned. She gets to raise her son Amenhotep, the boy she so wanted to give birth to herself.
Note. There is another version, according to which Amenhotep marries his daughter, and Nefertiti remains his co-ruler with male name Smenkhkare. When Amenhotep died, Nefertiti, the mysterious queen of Egypt, ruled instead of her husband for another 5 years. She was destined to die at the hands of the priests. Her body was mutilated, and much of what reminded of her was destroyed.
historical values
In 1912, during the excavations of the Egyptian village, the house of the court architect and sculptor Thutmes was discovered. Archaeologists were in for a real treat. A bust of Nefertiti, her husband and daughters were found in it. Everything was in good condition, only the head of Queen Nefertiti did not have the left eye. This is how she is depicted in many photos. This speaks of lifetime production. In Egypt, the second eye was inserted into the statue after death. Today, the bust of Nefertiti is kept in the Berlin Museum. The most interesting thing about Nefertiti can be found in the video for this article.