21 Facts You May Not Have Known About Queen Nefertiti
- Photo: IgorKon / Pixabay / Pixabay License
Nefertiti Was More Powerful Than Previous Egyptian Queens
Because Nefertiti is depicted with a pharaoh’s crown, some archeologists believe she was seen as Akhenaten’s equal and had the powers of a pharaoh. She may have even ruled as a pharaoh after the death of her husband and before the reign of King Tutankhamun, under the name Djeserkheperure Smenkhare.
In any case, inscriptions depict a queen who is both involved in and in charge of the royal court. She was also considered a high priestess, allowing the faithful access to the god Aten through her.
- Photo: Philip Pikart / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Nefertiti's One Eye Has Given Rise To Much Speculation
One of the most famous depictions of Nefertiti shows her with one blank eye, considered a blight on an otherwise beautiful face. There exists varying speculation about the circumstances that led to the blank eye, which include the theory that the queen possessed a natural fold of skin over the eye (not uncommon in the region). The blank eye could also be designed as a insult, or could simply be the result of damage that occurred over the years.
By far the most entertaining theory, however, is that Thutmose, the artist who made the bust, fell in love with Nefertiti. After his advances were rebuffed, the theory goes, he left the eye blank as a symbol of her inability to see the true nature of the artist's love.
Nefertiti And Akhenaten Ruled Equally
Nefertiti married Amenhotep IV when she was 15 years old. They had six daughters and possibly one son, and ruled Egypt as equals in the mid 1300s BC.
The power couple changed Egypt drastically by designating the sun itself as the new god, and making it the center of political and religious structure, replacing the god Amen with Aten. They created a new capital, Akhet-Aten, over 200 miles north of Thebes. This didn’t sit well with all the people, but they didn’t have much of a choice. Defying the pharaoh could result in death, and the couple made themselves the only priests through which citizens could access Aten.
The couple eventually changed their names. Amenhotep became Akhenaten and Nefertiti (whose original name meant “a beautiful woman has come”) became Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti or "beautiful are the beauties of Aten, a beautiful woman has come." Both names helped solidify Aten as the new principal god.
Nefertiti’s Tomb Was Believed To Be Hidden Behind King Tut’s
In 2015, archeologist Dr. Nicholas Reeves believed he discovered a secret, larger room behind Tutankhamun’s smaller tomb. Using scans, what seemed to be a hidden tomb was revealed, prompting Reeves to posit it belonged to Nefertiti.
The discovery could have confirmed theories about Nefertiti’s true place within Egyptian history - like her being Tut’s mother and even the royal with the higher pedigree. Perhaps Nefertiti ruled as the boy king’s co-regent after the death of Akhenaten. Reeves suggests that Nefertiti may have been interred first, with the door to her chamber plastered and painted over.
"If I'm wrong, I'm wrong," Reeves said. "But if I'm right, the prospects are frankly staggering.” Some historians suggest that Nefertiti’s tomb and trappings were used for the burial of King Tut or that she was hidden in Tut’s tomb so that enemies of her husband, Akhenaten, wouldn’t find her.
Regardless of what may have occurred during Nefertiti's lifetime, her death did not see her placed in a secret tomb behind Tut's. In 2018, researchers confirmed that not only was Nefertiti not buried behind King Tut's tomb, but that Reeves's theoretical room didn't even exist.
- Photo: Brooklyn Museum / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Queen Nefertiti Had Her Own Temple
The royal family of Amenhotep IV lived in structures built in Karnak. One of the grandest was the Gempaaten, a palace complex. A temple devoted to Nefertiti, the Hut-Benben, was even built inside the palace.
In the third year of their reign, Nefertiti and Amenhotep IV are depicted as having thrown an elaborate festival in the temple. An inscription shows the ruling couple, along with their daughters and royal court, viewing the entertainment and crowds from their special viewing spot at the palace.
Her Husband Inherited A Wealthy And Open Egypt - Then Nearly Drove It To Ruin
Amenhotep IV inherited a very wealthy Egypt from his father, the previous ruler. But the installation of the sun as the center of government and politics ruffled a lot of feathers. Once he became Akhenaten and established the new sun god, things slowly changed in Egypt.
Eventually, the ruler lost all tolerance for other beliefs and began a campaign to destroy other religions. As a result, turmoil and debt began to plague the empire. Akhenaten retreated from his subjects and public life, but passed before things could truly spin out of control for the kingdom.
The Nefertiti Bust Is Still A Point Of Contention Between Egypt And Germany
German archeologists excavated the Thutmose bust of Nefertiti in 1912 and took it to Germany under a license from the Egyptian government. The country was dominated by the Ottoman Empire at the time, who were under British rule in the area. The French, meanwhile, headed up Egypt’s antiquities department. As such, there are varying accounts of how exactly the Germans were granted the legal right to obtain the bust from Egypt.
Nefertiti’s bust ended up in Berlin in 1913, displayed at the Neues Museum. When the Nazis came to power, they took possession of it and many other valuable works of art from around the world, putting them in hiding. As for the bust, Hitler said, “I will never relinquish the head of the Queen.”
The bust was later discovered in a salt mine by American forces during the occupation, who moved it to a museum in West Berlin. The bust returned to the Neues Museum in 2009, which had been recently rebuilt after being bombed during World War II. Egypt, meanwhile, considers Germany’s possession of Nefertiti’s statue looting, as its removal was under questionable legal conditions.
Nefertiti And Akhenaten Constructed Their Own City
The ruling couple had the city of Tell el-Amarna built to worship Aten. They also demanded the faithful move to the new city if they wanted to stay in the good graces of Queen Nefertiti and the pharaoh.
Over time, the old gods were slowly removed from society, temples were closed, and priests had to conform to the new rule of law.
- Photo: Jkoerg / Pixabay / Pixabay License
Nefertiti Held Many Titles During Her Reign
Nefertiti held many titles during her reign, including:
- Hereditary Princess
- Great of Praises
- Lady of Grace
- Sweet of Love
- Lady of The Two Lands
- Great King’s Wife, his beloved
- Lady of all Women
- Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt
Ay Was Possibly Nefertiti's Father
No one is sure who Nefertiti’s parents were, but many theories exist. The leading one claims that the queen was the daughter of top Egyptian adviser Ay (or Aye). Ay would go on to rule as pharaoh after the death of King Tut.
Was Nefertiti An Enforcer?
Neferti is depicted on countless walls and tombs, befitting her royal stature and alleged beauty. But one of those depictions shows Nefertiti about to strike a foreign captive with a weapon.
Neferiti was one of the most powerful women in Egypt and considered the direct female conduit to Aten. Could she have also acted as a royal enforcer, or did she simply prefer getting her hands dirty when it came to doling out punishment?
Despite Her Husband’s Philandering, Nefertiti Was Thought To Be Faithful
Akhenaten was known to sire children with other women, one of whom might have been his sister - with the resulting birth being future king Tutankhamun. Some even suggest the king bedded his own daughters. Regardless, Nefertiti is believed to have been faithful to her husband, and some theories even suggest she may have been Tutankhamun's true mother.
A Partial Tomb Figurine Of Nefertiti Offers Conflicting Clues About Her Role
A partial shabti of Nefertiti found in Amarna has led experts to hold differing opinions as to whether the royal was buried as a queen or pharaoh. The item could have simply been a votive from another royal burial, but it may hold clues to Nefertiti's true power. The shabti is currently on display at the Louvre.
Nefertiti Had Six Daughters
Meritaten, Meketaten, Setepenre, Ankhes-en-pa-aten, Neferneferure, and Neferneferuaten-tasherit were the six daughters of Nefertiti and Pharaoh Akhenaten. Meritaten served at court as the Great Royal Wife during the final years of Akhenaten's reign. She continued in this role during the rule of Smenkhare, who many believe is the name Nefertiti took when she became pharaoh. Of course, it's also possible Meritaten simply replaced her mother as Akhentaten's consort upon the passing of her mother.
Nefertiti Might Have Died Of The Plague
Historians have differing opinions on what caused the death of Nefertiti and when it occurred. One theory is that Nefertiti passed six years after her husband and ruled Egypt while King Tut was being prepared to rule. Her plans to remain with the boy king until he was strong enough to rule on his own may have been cut short when she died of the plague.
Uncommon Love Is Depicted In Nefertiti and Akhenaten's Inscriptions
Akhenaten's wife and children were often shown in loving, naturalistic depictions in inscriptions. This contrasted greatly with how children usually appeared in art, and defied the typical depiction of a pharaoh and their family.
Nefertiti’s Mummy May Have Been Discovered
During an excavation of the tomb of King Amenhotep II in 1898, three mummies were discovered behind a hidden wall. The tomb, located in the Valley of the Kings, held the king’s mummy as well as others. One of those mummies, The Younger Lady, might be Nefertiti.
In 2010, Zahi Hawass, who was Egypt’s Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, wrote in a National Geographic piece that the results of DNA from the three mummies prove The Younger Lady was the sister of Akhenaten, as well as King Tut’s mother.
In 2013, French Egyptologist Marc Gabolde’s DNA analysis disputed Hawass’s claim and revealed that Nefertiti was The Young Lady and not Akhenaten’s sister. Dr. Gabolde also maintained the mummy was Tut’s real mother.
A Statue Of Queen Nefertiti Outraged Egypt - And Was Promptly Removed
A huge bust of Nefertiti was erected at the entrance to the city of Samalut in 2015. But it was so maligned, it got removed shortly after it was unveiled. The statue, which is a far cry from the famous bust of the beautiful ruler, outraged Egyptians.
As one person tweeted, “"This is an insult to Nefertiti and to every Egyptian."
Nefertiti Vanished After 14 Years, But May Have Become A Pharaoh
After 14 years of rule alongside Akhenaten, Nefertiti disappeared from historical records. Some historians say she simply died. Others believe she became a co-regent and ruled as the mysterious Smenkhare. Those historians, chief among them Dr. Nicholas Reeves, believe Nefertiti became a pharaoh during Akhenaten's later years, before ruling on her own after her husband's death and until Tutankhamun was old enough to be king.
After Nefertiti and Akhenaten’s rule, many artifacts and records were destroyed by the couple's successors. The idea was to wipe out the memory of the pharaoh and his queen, who caused much turmoil during their reign.
New Findings May Dispute The Queen's Legendary Beauty
Every bust and painting depicts Nefertiti as having the highly sought features of the time. But how realistic are those busts and murals? Some researchers believe they aren't accurate at all.
Using CT scans of the famous 3,400-year-old bust of Nefertiti, scientists were able to see the original mask of the queen under all of the layers. This technology has allowed scientists and historians to see much deeper than prior scans done in 1992, showing them the inner facial cast is significantly different from the outside of the bust. There’s a bump on the ridge of the nose, wrinkles on the cheeks and around the corner of the mouth, less prominent cheekbones, and less depth at the corner of the eyelids.
Many believe that royal sculptor Thutmose simply created an ideal version of the queen. It's equally likely that Ahkenaten insisted his wife be portrayed as more beautiful. Regardless, the popular image of the queen may not match the reality of her appearance.
- Photo: Andreas Praefcke / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Nefertiti May Have Been Her Husband’s Cousin
It was quite common for the ruling class of Egypt - and most of history's monarchs - to have children with their siblings and other family members. Nefertiti and Akhenaten might have continued this tradition, as one theory suggests they were cousins.
Furthermore, the theory that King Tutankhamun was their child may explain some of the purported physical defects of the ruler.
- Photo: Random House
Want More Ancient Egypt?
One of the oldest and most mythologized cultures in human history, Ancient Egypt has attracted the curious and the adventurous for millennia. The land has long been revered as a place of knowledge, mystery, and unparalleled beauty - with archaeologists still uncovering its secrets to this day. If you want to delve deeper into Egypt's history, the following books, media, and other Ranker lists are highly recommended.
A great place to start is Toby Wilkinson's The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, an enthralling one-volume work that draws upon the author's 40 years of archaeological expertise. The civilization is reviewed from its early beginnings to its ultimate fate as a vassal of the Roman Empire.
For those more interested in the mythology of the culture, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt is as thorough as its title promises.
When Women Ruled the World offers a unique perspective on Ancient Egyptian culture by examining the reigns of six female rulers, including Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra.
If you’re in the mood for a documentary, Egypt: The Series is a great tour through the New Kingdom and its lavish monuments.
With more than 300 photographs, many of them in color, The Art of Ancient Egypt pays homage to 3,000 years of glorious architecture, tombs, wall paintings, amulets, papyri, and objects traced to multiple Egyptian dynasties.
For those looking to add some epic flair to their home, this five-panel wall art installation offers a glimpse of the pyramids as they appear today.
For further reading on Ancient Egypt, Ranker's editors have selected the following lists that dive into the truths and popular misconceptions about this fascinating culture:
