Sunday, 2 October 2011

Famous Queens in Ancient Egypt

A number of famous queens played important roles in the history of Egypt. They were intelligent and wise and possessed strong personalities. They supported their husbands and sons in ruling the country.

Queens had their own palaces and estates, pyramids or tombs, temples and courtiers. They were allowed to establish good relationships with foreign queens and exchange letters and gifts with them.

Ahhotep was the wife of Seqnenre-Taa and mother of Kamose and Ahmose, the Theban princes who fought against the Hyksos invaders until they expelled them from the country. This queen was presented with the Order of Valor and was venerated as the mother of the heroes.

Ahmes-Nefertari was the sister and wife of King Ahmose the First. She and her son Amenhotep the First were considered patron deities of the village and cemetery of the community of workmen at Deir el-Medina in Thebes.

Queen Tiye was the wife of Amenhotep the Third and mother of Akhenaten. Although she came from a non-royal, but elite, family, she became the Great Royal Wife favored by the king. She supported her son in ruling the country and gathered officials around him, especially when he began to preach the cult of Aten and moved the royal residence to Tell el-Amarna.

Nefertiti, also of non-royal blood, was the beautiful wife of Akhenaten. She supported her husband in all his reforms and gave him six daughters. Akhenaten and Nefertiti were shown in parades and in affectionate and human poses when playing with their children or when they are grieving for one of the dead daughters.

Nefertari was the wife of Ramesses the Second and mother of some of his children. She was deified like her husband and the small temple at Abu Simbel was dedicated to her cult, together with the goddess Hathor. The name of the queen was mentioned in diplomatic letters with the court of the Hatti. She had the most beautiful tomb in the Valley of the Queens .

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