She can, without any doubt, be called one of the most famous women of antiquity. Her image, along with the pyramids and the smile of the young Tutankhamun, became one of the permanent symbols of the ancient Egyptian civilization. She, revered as a living goddess by contemporaries, cursed and forgotten by descendants, again "reigns" in our world, recalling the endless struggle of man with time and proclaiming the unchanging ideal of beauty. Her name was Nefertiti.
It is assumed that the queen was from Mitannia and came from a fairly noble family. Born 1370 B.C. e. Her real name is Taduchela and already at the age of 12 she was sent by her father to the harem of Amenhotep III for a significant amount of gold and jewelry. Soon the pharaoh died and, according to the traditions established at that time, all the wives were inherited by his successor Amenhotep IV. The beauty of Nefertiti attracted the attention of Amenhotep IV, who later received the name Akhenaten. Then the marriage was concluded, and the hostage of the harem became the co-ruler of Ancient Egypt.
Queen Nefertiti is perhaps more famous than her husband, the heretic king Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV). He said that even in the ancient world, her beauty was known, and her famous statue, found in a sculptor's workshop, is not only one of the most recognizable icons of ancient Egypt, but also the subject of some modern controversy. She was more than a pretty face however, she seems to have hitherto unheard of level of importance during the Amarna period of Egypt's 18th Dynasty. In a work of art, her status is obvious and means that she had almost the same influence as her husband. For example, she is depicted almost twice as often in reliefs as her husband, at least during the first five years of his reign.
The appearance of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti can be imagined from the preserved sculptures and images. According to these data, the woman had a petite and slender figure until the end of her life, and even the birth of six children did not affect her grace. Nefertiti had a clear facial contour and a strong-willed chin, which was not at all typical for the indigenous people of Egypt. Her black arched eyebrows, plump lips and expressive eyes could be the envy of many women, even today.
Over the entire period of marriage, Nefertiti gave birth to six daughters, but, unfortunately, the spouses did not wait for the heir. It is with this that historians connect Akhenaten's remarriage with a young commoner named Kiya, who later gave birth to his son, known in history as Tutankhamun. Nefertiti moved to the rank of the expelled, and she was transferred to the upbringing of her husband's son, but a year later she was returned by her husband back.
The union of Akhenaten and Nefertiti was restored, but soon after that, the pharaoh was killed and the Egyptian beauty, at the age of 35, became the sole ruler, under the name of Smenkhkare. Her reign lasted no more than 5 years, which ended in the tragic death of a female pharaoh at the hands of exiled priests. The body was mutilated, and her tomb was destroyed and plundered by vandals. Perhaps if the death had occurred under other circumstances, it would have been easier for historians to restore the image of this woman.
As for the psychological portrait of Nefertiti, it is formed very blurry. According to some sources, the beauty was distinguished by her rebellious disposition and cruelty, and according to others, a submissive and faithful wife who supported her husband in everything. Perhaps, the combination of absolutely opposite characters is the uniqueness of the personality of the unique ancient Egyptian queen. Modern psychologists, analyzing data on Nefertiti, suggested the likelihood that a woman possessed certain masculine qualities that were considered at that time. In addition, they found their confirmation and assumptions about the high education of the queen, which was a rarity for Ancient Egypt and was typical mainly only for men.
There are various guesses about what attracted Akhenaten to her more: the beauty of Nefertiti, her inquisitive mind and wisdom, or skill in the art of love. After all, throughout the marriage, even with the advent of a new young wife, the pharaoh did not let his ex-wife out of his life.
It is not known how Nefertiti herself ended her days. Her mummy has not been found. One of the archaeologists, who led the excavations at Akhetaton for a number of years, writes that among the locals there is a story that 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. It is still unknown whether the burial of the great queen of antiquity was actually found.
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From the beginning of research and excavations in the ruins of Akhetaton (modern Tel el-Amarna) in the 80s of the XIX 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. 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. 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). 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). 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. Bust of Nefertiti, one of Ludwig Borchardt's most famous findsNefertiti - foreign princess
Version of the Egyptian origin
Bust of Nefertiti
In 1912, the German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt discovered a unique bust of Queen Nefertiti in the sculptor's workshop 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 requested it back to Egypt, but Germany refused to return it, then the German Egyptologists were prohibited from excavating. The Second World War and the persecution of Borchard's wife because of her Jewish origin prevented the archaeologist from continuing his research in full. 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
Nefertiti, was not found or identified among the mummies already found.
Prior to a genetic study in February 2010, Egyptologists speculated that Nefertiti's mummy could be one of the two women 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
Literature
- Mathieu M. E. At the time of Nefertiti. - M., 1965.
- Perepelkin Yu. Ya. The secret of the golden coffin. - M., 1968.
- Aldred C. Akhenaten: king of Egypt. - London, 1988.
- Anthes R. Die Buste der Konigin Nofretete. - Berlin, 1968.
- Arnold D. The royal woman of Amarna. - New York, 1996.
- Ertman E. The Search for the Significance and Origin of Nefertiti’s Tall Blue Crown.// Sesto Congresso Internazionale di Egittologia. Atti. Vol. I. - Torino, 1992, pp. 189-193.
- Müller M. Die Kunst Amenophis'III. und Echnatons. - Basel, 1988.
- Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamen. - Boston, 1999.
- Samson J. Nefertiti and Cleopatra: queen-monarchs of Ancient Egypt. - London, 1985.
- Tyldesley J. Nefertiti: Egypt's sun queen. - London, 1998.
- Solkin V.V. Nefertiti // Ancient Egypt. Encyclopedia. - M., 2005.
- Solkin V.V. Nefertiti: a journey through the sands of eternity // New Acropolis. - 2000. - No. 3. - S. 12-18.
- Solkin VV Egypt: the universe of the pharaohs. - M., 2001.
Links
- Queen Nefertiti - "Beautiful came. The program" Echo of Moscow "from the cycle" Everything is so "
Filmography
- "Mysteries of history. Nefertiti: The Mummy Returns Mysteries of History. Nefertiti: The Mummy Returns ) is a popular science film made in 2010.
| Prominent figures of ancient Egypt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pharaohs of the Early Kingdom | Narmer Menes Khor Aha Djer Den Hasekhemui |  |
| Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom | Djoser Sneferu Khufu Khafra Menkaura Sahura Piopi II | |
| Pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom | Mentuhotep II Amenemhat I Senusret I Senusret III Amenemhat III | |
| Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom | Ahmose I Amenhotep II Amenhotep III Akhenaten Horemheb | |
| Pharaohs of the 19th and 20th Dynasties of the New Kingdom | Ramesses I Seti I Ramesses II Merneptah Setnacht Ramesses III | |
| Rulers of the Late Period | Sheshenq I Piankhi Taharka Psammetich I Necho II Amasis II Ptolemy I | |
| queens | Neithhotep Merneit Hetepheres I Nephret Meretites Henutsen Hetepheres II Meresankh III Khamerernebti II Khentkaus Iput Ankhnesmerira Ankhnesmerira II Nitokris Ashait Khentkaus II Neferu Menet Ita Nephrusobek Tetisheri Ahhotep Ahmose-Nefertari Ahmes Hatshepsut Menhet, Menui and Stsarita Merti Tiaida Mutemuyitsa Nefertiti Kiya Ankhesenamun Nefertari Merenmut Cleopatra VII | |
| Figures of culture and science | Imhotep Khemiun Ineni Senmut Manetho Gorapollon Amenhotep son of Hapu Tanini | |
| Warlords, priests and courtiers | Ahmes, son of Ebana Rekhmira Amenemheb Amenhotep, son of Hapu Ujagorresent Potin Horemheb Djedkhonsuefankh Masaharta Menkheperra Osorkon III Piankh Pinedjem I Pinedjem II Psusennes II Psusennes III Smendes II Takelot II Herihor Sheshonk II Sheshonk III Merira Ptahduauu Tefnakht I Khaemuas Rekhmera Chaimyemra-mose nomarch of Antinopolis) Amyrtheus Amyrtheus I Ankhtifi Irsu | |
In 1912, during excavations in Amarna, archaeologists found a perfectly preserved painted sculpture of Nefertiti, an Egyptian queen from the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom. A slender neck, almond-shaped eyes, dreamily smiling lips ... Since then, the opinion has been established that this woman is the undoubted standard of beauty and femininity of the ancient world.
Her husband Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton) went down in history as a pharaoh-reformer who rebelled against the dominance of the old nobility and priests, closely associated with the cult of the Theban god Amun-Ra. Nothing majestic was visible in him, his appearance was ugly, which was especially striking next to Nefertiti. According to the ancient sculptors, the frail and stooped body of Amenhotep IV was crowned with an exorbitantly large head with sharp ears, a drooping jaw and a long nose.
From an early age, he was plagued by ailments. Amenhotep was only twelve when, after the death of his father, he was placed on the throne. He was a shy and impressionable child who still played with dolls. He inherited almost nothing from the warlike and despotic character of Amenhotep III. He had time everywhere: he was both a politician and a military leader, he loved wine and magnificent festivities, adored women. His harem consisted of more than a hundred concubines - daughters of nobles, foreign princesses and simply beautiful captives. The administration of the country during this period was in the hands of high-ranking nobles and Tia (or Teia), the first legal wife of the pharaoh, the mother of Amenhotep IV (according to other sources, his nurse).
Tiye came from Mesopotamia. It was there, at the court of King Tushrat, who ruled the state of Mitanni, that the future pharaoh met the young princess Taduchepa (according to some historians, her mother's cousin), who went down in history under the name of Nefertiti. She received a brilliant education at that time in a special school, where boys and girls studied together, which was then perceived as almost a revolutionary method of educating the younger generation.
It is difficult to say what the true plans of the first wife of Amenhotep III were, but when she brought the princess from Mitanni, the country of the Aryans (by paying, by the way, a considerable ransom in gold, silver and ivory), she first placed her in the harem of the reigning pharaoh.
When the fifteen-year-old princess arrived with her retinue in Thebes, her extraordinary bright appearance immediately fascinated the townspeople - it was then that she received the new name Nefertiti (“Beautiful has come!”). The prematurely aged pharaoh could hardly enjoy the charms of the new concubine (the turn simply could not reach her). He died two years after her arrival. On the throne was his rightful heir, the boy pharaoh.
A few weeks after the death of the old pharaoh, Tiye married her son to Nefertiti. Immediately, a struggle began between these women for influence over the young pharaoh. The forces turned out to be unequal - youth and beauty slowly but surely won. Amenhotep, according to some reports, disbanded his father's huge harem, which he inherited, and this was Nefertiti's first victory.
Gradually, she became her husband's chief adviser on almost all issues. And his admiration for his wife sometimes crossed all limits: swearing an oath to the god Aten at the foundation of a new capital, Akhenaten swore to the supreme deity not only his God-father, but also love for his wife and children. Leaving to check the outposts around the city, Akhenaten took Nefertiti with him, and the guard reported on his service not only to the lord and commander-in-chief of the army, but also to his wife.
When rewarding dignitaries with gifts and distinctions, she was also present and herself thanked her subordinates for their good service. The nobles more than once asked Nefertiti to put in the right word in front of the pharaoh.
The mystery of Nefertiti's charms, real or imaginary, continues to excite people's minds millennia later. Already today, a doctor from the Moscow Institute of Beauty, while visiting, saw a copy of the sculptural head of the Egyptian queen, and asked the hostess of the house: “Well, what does everyone find in it? An ideally correct face, but cold, even boring…” The hostess, who was an artist, silently took out a thin brush, dipped it in water and made a few strokes on the yellow sandstone. Lips appeared on the stone face, then eyebrows, pupils ... “I could not take my eyes off,” the surgeon recalled, “a woman of amazing beauty was looking at me, as if alive.”
There are many white spots in the biography of Nefertiti. Until now, for example, it is not clear how many children she gave birth to. In any case, these were only daughters (according to some sources, three, according to others - six). The royal spouses were consoled by one thing: the absence of a son would in no way affect the future of the dynasty, because, according to tradition, power could be transferred through a daughter if she married a high dignitary. In addition, Akhenaten had sons from other wives, one of them is the famous Tutankhamun. And yet, according to historians, Nefertiti's power over Akhenaten would never have shaken if the gods had sent her a son. After all, whatever you say, but men in all ages dream of an heir, a successor to their deeds.
The inscriptions and drawings restored by scientists say that the young royal couple initially led a luxurious and happy family life. But is it possible to fully trust the sincerity of the then official chroniclers? Akhenaten was a sick man, which undoubtedly affected his personal life. Judging by some inscriptions, Nefertiti was looking for the company of other men, whom, however, she did not keep around her for a long time.
Maybe it all started after the "well-wishers" literally put the lovely Kia, the most beautiful and graceful woman of the royal harem, into bed with her bored husband? Less than a month later, Akhenaten announced that he recognized her as a side wife. By the way, many found that the fragility and grace of the lines of the new wife resembles Nefertiti. But, as practice shows, a copy is often worse than the original.
Hope, it seems, dawned again on the half of the disgraced queen. Having lowered the annoying Kia to an ordinary concubine, the pharaoh returned to the queen in order, as historians write, to marry his third daughter, Ankhesenamun, ”and therefore asked Nefertiti to prepare her for such a serious step, to teach the art that she knows. The girl is already eight years old, she has long been ripe for the marriage bed. The god Aton himself allegedly showed him his new chosen one.
In Egypt and some other states of the Ancient World, such marriages were not seen as anything illegal, on the contrary, they were considered ideal, as they retained the “divine essence” of the ruling house and did not allow its representatives to mix with plebeians or strangers.
An unexpected drama in the palace strengthened the position of the priests of the "old" god Amon. Despite the care of nannies and court doctors, for some unknown reason, at the age of ten, Pharaoh's beloved daughter Maktaton died. Egyptologists came to the conclusion that a few years before the death of Akhenaten, his family broke up: Nefertiti, expelled from the palace, raised the boy appointed as the husband of her daughter, Tutankhamun, in a country house.
In the eighteenth year of the reign of Amenhotep-Akhenaton left this world. The reason, apparently, was a progressive serious illness: the pharaoh's spine was deformed more and more, the body was covered with non-healing ulcers, and at the age of twenty-nine, his earthly path ended. With him, the religion that had been planted by him also left.
After the death of Amenhotep IV, the throne was taken by his son-in-law - the husband of the eldest daughter of Smenkhkare, who immediately restored the cult of the "rejected" god Amun. According to some historians, Nefertiti herself could well have reigned under this male name ... Soon Tutankhamun appeared on the throne, for whom the queen gave her miserable Ankhesenamun. Under him, the capital was firmly established in Thebes. Returned there and Nefertiti. And what was she to do in an abandoned and partially already destroyed city?
Many people sought the hands of a seductive widow, but she did not marry a third time. Although from scattered records it can be understood that Nefertiti did not become a recluse either. Apparently, she did not fall into disgrace and retained her influence at court. In the records, she is called wise and perspicacious.
She died at thirty-seven. She was solemnly buried, as she requested, in the tomb next to Akhenaten.
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, other Egyptian. Nfr-nfr.w-Jtn-Nfr.t-jty, “The most beautiful beauty of the Aten, 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 XIX 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. 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 - 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 absence of a son from the queen, the heir to the royal throne, could have affected the deterioration of relations within the 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. Each scene necessarily features the Aton, a solar disk with numerous hands holding out the symbols of eternal life to the royal couple of ankhs.
Nefertiti played an extremely important role in the religious life of Egypt at that time, accompanying her husband during sacrifices, rituals 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 requested it back to Egypt, but Germany refused to return it, then the German Egyptologists were prohibited from excavating. The Second World War and the persecution of Borchard's wife because of her Jewish origin prevented the archaeologist from continuing his research in full. 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 advent of a 15-year-old princess named Taduchepa on Egyptian soil, a new god, Aten, also came. 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 peoples. 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 the Aten was built of white stone. Construction began on the new capital of 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 of the 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 an 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 a country house and raised a boy destined for 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 appeared, 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 for 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 Tutankhamen. 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
And a great reformer. His wife is the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. The reign of this couple fell on the Amarna period. What made Akhenaten and Nefertiti famous for the short period of their reign? Among all the great queens of Egypt, only the name of the most beautiful and revered ruler remained on hearing. Infrequently, the pharaohs allowed their wives to rule, but Nefertiti was not just a wife - she became a queen during her lifetime, whom they prayed for, whose mental abilities were extolled so highly. "Perfect" - that's what her contemporaries called her, extolled her merits and beauty.
Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton)
Akhenaten was not supposed to rule Egypt as he had an older brother. But Thutnos died during the reign of his father, so Amenhotep became the legitimate heir. In the last years of his life, the pharaoh was seriously ill, and the opinion of historians is that the youngest son was co-ruler at that time. However, for how long such a joint rule lasted could not be established.
After the death of his father, Amenhotep becomes pharaoh and begins to rule the country, which by this time has achieved great power and influence. Queen Teie, 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 (the sun god) becomes the center of religion. A grandiose temple for the highest deity is being built using new technologies. Aten himself is depicted as a man with the head of a falcon. God was given the status of pharaoh, the border between Amenhotep and the sun was erased. To top it off, he changes his name to Akhenaten, which means "useful to the Aten." All members of the family, as well as the most important dignitaries, were also renamed.
In order to establish a new deity, a new city is being built. First of all, a huge palace was erected for the pharaoh. He did not wait for the completion of construction and moved along with the entire court from Thebes. The temple for the Aten was erected immediately after the palace. Residential quarters and other buildings 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 were married before his ascension to the throne. To the question of at what age girls were taken as wives by the pharaohs: they became brides from 12-15 years old. The future husband of 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 first wife of the pharaoh was not an Egyptian. It has not yet been possible to find confirmation of its foreign origin. The wife supported Akhenaten in everything, she contributed to the elevation of Aten to the rank of the highest deity. On the walls of the temple there are much more of her images than of the pharaoh himself. The 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 of Tutankhamen. The girl will change her name to Ankhesenamun. One of the daughters of the royal solar couple will die in childhood, the other will be given in marriage to her brother. The fate of the rest of the story is unknown.
Nefertiti and Akhenaten appeared everywhere together. Her greatness and significance can be judged by the fact that she was allowed to accompany her husband during the sacrifices. They prayed to her in the temples of the Aten, and all the 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 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 the kiss, with children on their knees, there are separate images of daughters. None of the wives of the pharaohs of Egypt was honored with such honors as this person.
Decline of the popularity of Queen Nefertiti
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 the daughter, the relationship of the spouses to each other changed. Or Akhenaten could not forgive the beauty for the absence of an heir. Evidence of her life after the reign is a statue depicting Nefertiti in old age. Still beautiful, but already broken by years and hardships, the woman froze forever in a tight-fitting dress and light sandals. Undoubtedly, the rejection of her husband broke her, left her imprint on the royal face. The tomb of Nefertiti has not yet been discovered, which may confirm the assumption of her disgrace. Perhaps she outlived her husband, but they did not bury her with honors.
kiya
Queen Nefertiti was replaced by a not so beautiful and majestic Kiya. Presumably, she entered into marriage with 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 death passed to the young pharaoh. There is no historical mention of 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 walls of the temple, the woman was disgraced. The burial of this wife of the pharaoh was not found. There are no conjectures and facts about the fate of her daughter either.
Taduhepa
This wife of the pharaoh also went to him by 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 Taduhepa his wife. Some scientists and researchers believe that Nefertiti or Kiya had this name before the reign, but no evidence of this theory has been found. A message from her father Tushratta to her future husband has been preserved, in which he negotiates the imminent marriage of his daughter. But this does not confirm the fact that the princess existed as a separate person. Historians also did not find any mention of joint children.
Death of the pharaoh
How Akhenaten died has not yet been established. There are murals depicting an attempt on the pharaoh with the help of poisoning. However, his mummy is required to establish the cause of death. Only a tomb was found in the family vault. There was no body inside, and she herself was practically destroyed. Scholars are still debating whether the man's mummy from tomb KV55 is Akhenaten.
Someone tried to keep it a secret by knocking off the name on the sarcophagus and tearing off the mask. DNA examination established that the body belongs to the close relatives of Tutankhamun. But it 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 regal bodies.
