Who's Who of Egyptian people, queens and family: Nefertiti

Nefertiti

18th Dynasty

Nefertiti was the wife of Akhenaten. Nefertiti, which means "the beautiful woman has come" is one of the most famous and beloved of all ancient Egyptians. One of the best known Egyptian treasures is a bust of her that can be found in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin. Not much is known about where she came from or who she was, but there has been much speculation about this. She appeared with Akhenaten during his fourth year at el-'Amarna, which was Akhenaten's new city. The city was dedicated to the god Aten. In the sixth year of his reign, her name was changed to Nefernefruaten, which means "Beautiful in beauty is Aten". They lived in 'Amarna and held religious ceremonies celebrating Aten.

They raised six daughters but no sons at 'Amarna. One of their daughters, Meket-Aten, died. Their mourning was shown on wall paintings. After the death of their daughter, Nefertiti disappeared from the court. Some evidence shows that she stayed in 'Amarna, but lived in a villa called Hataten. Her daughter took over her place as Akhenaten's Queen. Her body has never been found (though there is much speculation that her mummy may be that of "Younger Lady".

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Last Updated: June 19th, 2011