Queen Nefertari
Queen Nefertari
In the thirteenth century BC, Nefertari, cherished spouse to Ramses II, lay heroically buried in all of the tombs located at the Valley of the Queens. But was it true that the sovereign’s singular assistance that earned she the great favor, the love of the pharaoh?
The ancient history of Egypt is filled with famous women who shaped the political landscape. Naturally, we remember the real “pharaohs” Hatshepsut (1460 - 1457 B.C.) and Cleopatra VII (51- 30 B.C), who governed the territory of Egypt for several decades. We cannot forget the remarkable Queens of the New Kingdom, 1550- 1090 B.C. Nefertiti, wife of the pharaoh Akhenaton (1371–1355 BC) and Nefertari, the favorite wife of pharaoh Ramses II (1279-1213 BC).
While the first is known for the amazing bust now lying in Berlin, the second is mainly recognized for its luxurious mausoleum located in the Valley of the Kings.
The tomb of Nefertari, as regards the dimensions and, particularly, the embellishment, is considered to be the most lovely by far of all tombs located in Egypt. Such a totality of images of a given thesaurus is absent in the enormous tombs of the Valley of the Kings. The thematic material is not exactly remarkable in creativity demonstrating capital achievements. The most heroic is the so-called heroic in case the hero died and hisba brother sent his soul to the world of the dead, ruled by Osiris. This journey begins from the “gold room”, where the queen's sarcophagus was located.
Nefertari Merienmut (or Meritamout Nfrt jrj mrjt n Mwt) is a Queen of Egypt of the 19th dynasty. She was the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramses II (1279-1213). Like Queens Tiyi I and Nefertiti, she will not be the Divine Wife of Amun. In the texts that her husband left, he calls her: The Lady of Charm, the Rich in Praise, the Beautiful of Face and the Sweet of Love, She for whom the sun shines. Although her origins and genealogy are uncertain, her birth year is estimated to be 1295. According to some experts, she might be her husband's sister or half-sister because she was born as the daughter of Pharaoh Seti I (1294–1279). Others claim she is descended from Ay II (1327–1323), Tutankhamun's successor (1336/1335–1327), and that she is associated with the 18th dynasty.
Before he took the kingdom at the age of fifteen, Nefertari wed Pharaoh Ramses II when she was just thirteen.
As soon as Ramses II took power, she was crowned Queen and Great Royal Wife and took the name Nefertari Merienmut (or Meritamout), she was then only nineteen years old. She would remain the most important of all the wives of Ramses II. Certain aspects of her personality, according to what can be reconstructed from the official documents in our possession, the iconography and her titulature, show similarities with Queen Tiyi I.
