The name Nefertiti has long been associated with most people with the ideal of female beauty and grace. Plastic surgeons copy the shape of her eyes and face shape for their clients, while fashionistas try to replicate her makeup. However, judging by the mummy found, which may belong to the great queen, her appearance was not so beautiful...
Once upon a time, many years ago, I first saw a bust of Nefertiti and was amazed by her almost alien beauty. Unfortunately, at that time there was little real information in the press - more and more about her husband, the famous heretic pharaoh Akhenaten. Now, after years, you and I can learn much more about it, but there is still very little. We don’t even know where and when she was born, we don’t know how many years she lived and why she died. It is not surprising - three millennia have passed since then, papyrus scrolls have decayed, stone has crumbled, empires have disappeared without a trace, rivers have changed their courses, and the fact that we know more about Nefertiti than just her name is a miracle in itself.
She was a great queen and bore Akhenaten six daughters. We can name the names of each daughter - Meritaten, Maketaten, Ankhesenpaaten, Neferneferuaten-tasherit, Nefernefrura and Setepenra, but does listing the names tell us anything about her? Many of her statues and images decorated temples; she was often painted next to her husband, often with her family, and even defeating the enemies of Egypt - this is how only the pharaohs themselves were usually painted.
She reached the pinnacle of power by the 12th year of Akhenaten’s reign, when we read about her in the inscriptions not just as the main wife, but as a co-ruler of her royal husband. Soon after this, her daughter Maketaten died of illness, and literally a year or two later all mentions of the name Nefertiti disappear. A version was put forward - the queen died during a plague epidemic. However, until recently, the main assumption was that Nefertiti simply fell out of favor with the rise of one of the younger wives of Pharaoh Kiya. Historians considered the cause of disgrace to be Nefertiti's inability to give birth to an heir. The pharaoh's next wife after Kiya was his own daughter from Nefertiti Meritaten, and almost all mentions of Kiya were destroyed.
Perhaps this was the daughter's revenge for her mother. But Meritaton herself was unable to give birth to a boy for her father; only mentions of two daughters from this marriage are known. However, speculation about Nefertiti's fall from grace was recently refuted by the discovery in 2012 of a half-erased inscription dating to the 16th year of Akhenaten's reign (his reign lasted 17 years), which included the following line: “The great wife of the pharaoh, his beloved, mistress of both lands (upper and lower Egypt) Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti." This meant that Nefertiti's status as a great wife (queen) remained unshakable, despite the pharaoh's marriage to Kiya and her own daughter. There is reason to believe that Nefertiti outlived her husband and even reigned for two more years under the name of Pharaoh Neferneferuaten.
With the accession of Akhenaten's heir, Tutankhamun, to the throne, the priesthood began an all-out attack on the legacy of the heretic pharaoh. Temples of Aten were destroyed or abandoned, references to Akhenaten were destroyed, inscriptions were erased, and steles were destroyed. At the same time, the tombs of the pharaoh and his royal wife were probably desecrated or even destroyed.
I inform you - the mummies of Nefertiti and Akhenaten have been found. The destruction of inscriptions on tombs and ritual objects is quite sufficient revenge from the point of view of the priests. After all, their names included mention of the god Aten. They took revenge not so much on the pharaoh as on his god Aten, returning the cult of the old gods. The destruction of the royal mummies themselves, whose divine origin was beyond doubt, is unheard of sacrilege even in relation to the heretic pharaoh.
Joanne Fletcher reported the discovery of Nefertiti's mummy ten years ago. Based on the mummy, a reconstruction of the supposed appearance of Nefertiti was made. I will not talk about the violent reaction of the Egyptological community to this discovery. I will say that many did not agree with her; everyone was looking forward to the results of the DNA examination, to which the Egyptian authorities did not give consent for a long time. It was only in February 2010 that the examination was carried out, but its results were not widely covered in the media. The mummy turned out to be the daughter of Amenhotep III and his wife Queen Tiya (father and mother of Akhenaten) and the mother of Tutankhamun. Most Egyptologists agreed that the mummy belonged to one of Akhenaten's wives.
Egyptologists interpret these results in different ways - some see this only as confirmation that Nefertiti was her husband’s sister, since her title confirms this, others deny her such an opportunity - after all, Nefertiti is never directly mentioned as the daughter of Amenhotep III. I am inclined to accept the first point of view on this issue, since it is possible that one of Nefertiti’s names is still on the list of the pharaoh’s daughters - we just don’t yet know that this name belongs to her. But that’s not all - DNA analysis of one of the male mummies from the same burial showed that it belongs to the father of Tutankhamun and the son of Amenhotep III, that is, quite likely, Akhenaten himself! This means that Nefertiti nevertheless bore him a son - he became her seventh child.
So, the most famous royal couple in the history of ancient Egypt has been found (with varying degrees of probability). However, in the same 2010, research into the supposed mummy of Nefertiti yielded another unexpected discovery. The mummy was significantly damaged, it was believed, by tomb robbers. The researchers' attention was drawn to the damage to the mummy's head - her cheek, mouth and jaw. The study showed that the wound was inflicted during life and turned out to be fatal. Nefertiti was killed. By whom?
Probably those who benefited from it, who put the young Tutankhamun in power and ruled in his place. This is Akhenaten’s dignitary Ey, who, after the sudden death of the young pharaoh, became a pharaoh himself by marrying his wife Ankhesenamon (Ankhesenpaaton, daughter of Nefertiti).
The story about Nefertiti could be completed here. But research again brings surprises. The famous painted bust of Nefertiti, after a tomography carried out not so long ago, revealed another secret. It turned out that the stone bust, covered with a thin layer of plaster, had undergone minor adjustments. Wrinkles were removed, the shape of the cheekbones was emphasized, and most noticeably, the shape of the nose was changed.
The original sculpture has a slight hump on the nose and a small saddle below it, which makes the tip of the nose slightly snub-nosed. It is these characteristic features that we can observe in the alleged mummy of Nefertiti.
All known sculptures of the queen were found in Thutmose's workshop at Amarna. Usually, when talking about Nefertiti, the material is illustrated with two of the most famous images - the famous bust made of painted limestone and a small head made of quartzite. You and I will be able to see a few more lesser-known statues of our heroine. But that's not all. After all, you wonder if her body was as beautiful as her face?
In the summer of 2003, a scandal broke out. Two Hungarian artists created a nude bronze statue as a "model of Nefertiti's physical beauty," they claimed, based on her actual ancient depictions in reliefs. The reconstructed "body" and the famous bust of the queen were combined and exhibited in a Berlin museum. The Egyptian Antiquities Service, led by Dr. Zahi Hawass, protested, in their opinion, such an image insulted the Egyptian queen, and the treatment of a unique ancient bust was called barbarism, bordering on vandalism.
In fact, the artists who presented the queen in an image close to the canons of modern top models clearly flattered Nefertiti. Judge for yourself, what could a queen, the ruler of millions of subjects, who knew no physical effort, no diet, and who moved on a palanquin, look like? Thin legs, fat thighs, a round tummy and a rather large ass are guaranteed with this lifestyle. If we remember Nefertiti’s swan neck stretched forward, then we can also add a stoop to the portrait.
Don't you like it? Well, don't look at the photos of Nefertiti sculptures and you won't be disappointed. One of them shows the body of a young beauty, slightly covered with a thin transparent fabric. But not everyone knows that there is also a statue of an aged, middle-aged Nefertiti. Time has left marks on her face, her look is tired and sad, but despite all this, she is still beautiful.
Nefertiti means “The Beautiful One has come.” She came into this world and brought her incredible beauty into it. And after three thousand years we still bow our heads before her royal beauty.
Young Lady" from KV35, supposed mummy of Nefertiti
Color photo of the mummy
Reconstruction of the image of Nefertiti from the mummy
Results of a tomographic study of the limestone bust of Nefertiti
Reconstruction of the image of Nefertiti after tomography of the bust
The German bandit looks at his crime." This is how this illustration was captioned in an article on the front page of an Egyptian state newspaper. The article itself is called “Queen Nefertiti was exposed in the Berlin Museum.” In fact, the body on the bronze statue was covered with a thin cloth, just like on other real statues of Nefertiti.
Torso of young Nefertiti(?)
Rear view
Middle-aged Nefertiti
At birth she was named Nefertiti, which meant “the beauty who came.” Agree, it’s quite risky to call a girl that name, what if she grows up to be ugly? But the Egyptian priests, based on the eternal course of the stars, guessed the fate of the newborn and, in accordance with this, gave a name. The girl's father was a priest, and he was not mistaken with the name. At the age of 15, Nefertiti became the wife of Amenhotep, the son and heir of the pharaoh.
In 1364 BC, Amenhotep ascended the throne. And Nefertiti, together with her husband, ruled Egypt for almost 20 years. These years shook the entire social and religious structure of the country.
Amenhotep IV, like many pharaohs before him, believed that the priestly caste, based on the cults of the ancient gods led by Amun, the patron god of Thebes, had seized too much power in the country. But he was the first who decided to change the order of things. With one blow, having made a “coup in heaven,” the pharaoh knocked out support from the Theban usurpers. From now on, Aten, the deity of the life-giving solar disk, became not just the supreme, but the only god. God, who is not somewhere in Thebes, but here, right above your head.
This was the first monotheism in human history. And next to the pharaoh who founded it was she, Nefertiti. However, now she also had a second name. She took it in honor of the one god. If Amenhotep IV became Akhenaten - that is, “pleasing to Aten,” then she is Neferneferuaten, which means “beautiful beauties of the solar disk.”
Miracle in Wonderland
Akhenaten ordered the closure of the temples of the old gods, the destruction of all their images and the confiscation of temple property. In Central Egypt he founded a new capital. It was surprising even for this land of wonders: among lifeless rocks and sand, like a beautiful mirage, as if overnight, a city with majestic palaces, gardens, blue ponds in which huge lotuses swayed. The city was named Akhetaten - “the firmament of Aten”. “Great charm, pleasing beauty to the eye” - that’s what his contemporaries called him. And among all this splendor rose, rising to the sun’s disk, the walls of the royal palace in which she lived - “the lady of Upper and Lower Egypt,” “the wife of God” and “the king’s adornment.”
Tender and powerful
Every morning, with the first rays of the sun, she, accompanied by numerous priests and priestesses, went out into the garden and, turning her face to the east, raising her hands to the rising disk, sang hymns to the great Aten, which she composed herself.
But at the same time, she, who composed touching poems about a weak, nascent life, was considered the earthly incarnation of the formidable lion-headed goddess Tefnut, the daughter of the sun, punishing those who broke the law. She was depicted not only with beautiful arms raised to the sun, but also clutching a formidable club. Indeed, this gentle woman was adamant when it came to matters of state; the pharaoh himself did not contradict her.
Beloved and happy
Never before have the private lives of pharaohs been depicted on steles, walls, and obelisks. However, the new religion broke the shackles of heavy centuries-old canons from art. And even now, after more than three thousand years, we can see not only scenes of official ceremonies, but also the private life of kings in their family chambers. Here they are sitting at home with the children, the queen is still young, but she already has six daughters. But - an unheard of thing - the queen climbed onto the king’s lap and dangled her legs, holding her little daughter with her hand. And here is a bas-relief that depicts the long and passionate (you can feel it!) kiss of Nefertiti and Akhenaten.
And yet she was not happy. This happened thousands of times before Nefertiti and thousands of times after her. Every morning she sang to Aten, who “gives life to a son in his mother’s womb...”, and every night she prayed to him for a son. But the queen gave birth to six daughters, and not once did Aton “revive” a boy in her womb.
Akhenaten needed an heir who would ensure the continuity of power and complete the work of his life - strengthen monotheism. The years passed, and the pharaoh, seized by the mania of having an heir, seemed to be slowly losing his mind. Hoping that a son would be born, he married one of his daughters, then another. So what? Both daughters gave birth to their own father another daughter.
And soon the queen had a rival, her name was Kaye. It was she who became the second wife of the pharaoh and brought him two boys - Smenkhkare and Tutankhamun.
The disgraced Nefertiti lived alone in a small palace. A life-size statue of her, made at the end of her life, has survived. All the same beautiful facial features, but is this really the one who was called “the mistress of joy”? Fatigue, disappointment on the face and at the same time perseverance in the proudly raised head, greatness in the whole appearance, so much quiet perseverance and dignity...
For many centuries now, the face of this woman has been considered the standard of female beauty, about which legends are written, because it is exquisite and spiritual. Recently, a real boom has begun around the image of Nefertiti, as women turn to plastic surgeons with requests to copy the queen’s face shape. Women do makeup like the famous Egyptian maiden wore, and fashion designers create outfits, shoes and hats that also resemble Nefertiti’s outfits.
There are many versions of the origin of the Egyptian queen, but recently another, more recent version has appeared, according to which she was born in 1370, but not in Egypt, as previously thought. True, historians still cannot come to a common opinion in which country and family she was born.
It’s strange, but previously they did not pay attention to the name of the queen of Egypt, but Nefertiti, translated from the Egyptian language - the beauty who came, this suggests that she arrived in Egypt from another country. This means that the secret of her origin may be in her name, and the shape of Nefertiti’s eyes speaks of her non-Egyptian origin. There is a hypothesis that the father of the future queen was from Turkey, and her mother from Mitani. Most likely, it was from Turkey that at a young age the girl was taken to the country of the pyramids as a gift to Amenhotep the third, and became one of the pharaoh’s many concubines. Women from the harem were supposed to give birth to children for the pharaoh and take care of him.
However, fate had its own way, since immediately after the arrival of the future queen in Egypt, old Amenhotep died, and according to the tradition of that time, all the wives of the pharaoh had to be killed and buried along with their owner. Unlike the others, Nefertiti was lucky, because the son of the late pharaoh, Amenhotep the fourth, fell in love with her. It was he who took a bold step for those times, left his father’s concubine alive, and eventually married her. It is clear that he was motivated by a fiery love for the girl, because it was not without reason that he signed all his decrees with an oath of eternal love for God and Nefertiti.
Even at a young age, the girl watched her husband and learned from him how to conduct government affairs. Already at the age of twenty, she was a virtuoso in political games, moreover, in her ability to convince opponents, she had no equal in that distant time. She did what she wanted, her husband did not contradict her, but always indulged her in everything. Nefertiti convinced her husband to renounce his religion and accept the gods of her land, after which Amenhotep the fourth changed his name and began to be called Akhenaten, which means pleasing to Aten, that is, the newly proclaimed God of the sun. The pharaoh declared his wife his equal and ordered that any of her orders be carried out, thus Nefertiti achieved what she wanted, namely, she became a real queen with all the rights and power.
On her orders, a new capital of the country was built, ancient temples were destroyed and persecution of adherents of the old faith began. The queen once a week went out onto the balcony of her palace, under which a crowd gathered, made fiery speeches, and then presented gifts to her subjects, throwing gold coins on the heads of the surprised Egyptians, while not forgetting to mention that these were gifts from the newly proclaimed solar God Aten.
However, problems began to arise in family life, since Nefertiti gave birth to her husband six daughters, and he needed an heir to the throne, so Akhenaten took another, young wife, who bore him a boy, the future Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Nefertiti was taken outside the city, where she lived for exactly a year, after which the melancholy Akhenaten returned her to the royal chambers, but they were not destined to live together for long. The expelled and oppressed religious priests united in groups and rebelled. The pharaoh was captured, his eyes were gouged out, and then executed. Nefertiti was the head of state for a few more days, after which she, too, was killed by the enraged fanatics of the old religion. They did not calm down even after Nefertiti’s death, first they plundered her tomb, and then mutilated her body and consigned it to oblivion for millennia.
And the mystery of the origin, power, and personal life of Queen Nefertiti still remains unsolved.
The amazing story of the fate of Queen Nefertiti does not leave indifferent many people interested in the history of Ancient Egypt. For more than three thousand years she was not remembered, and her name was lost in history. However, in the last millennium, one of the French scientists F. Champoln managed to decipher the ancient writings of Egypt.
In the 20th century, the world learned about Nefertiti something that could have remained forever forgotten.
An expedition of scientists from Germany in the early 40s of the last century, after excavations in Egypt, handed over the found objects for inspection by inspectors of the Antiquities Service. Among all the objects found, experts discovered an ordinary-looking stone block, in which experts eventually recognized the head of the queen. There is an opinion that several unscrupulous archaeologists tried to hide the ancient masterpiece from society, for which they were deprived of the right to participate in excavations in Egypt.
The name Nefertiti was rapidly gaining popularity, legends were formed about her beauty, and her personality became very famous. For centuries, no one except her contemporaries knew about her, and now, after 33 centuries, her name has been recognized and discussed.
There are not enough accurate facts preserved about Queen Nefertiti herself to speak about her biography with one hundred percent certainty. However, it is believed that Nefertiti was born in Mitania, where the famous Aryans lived, into a family of poor people. The year of her birth according to some sources is 1370 BC. Initially, her name was Taduchela and as a twelve-year-old girl she ended up in the harem of Amenhotep III for a considerable fee to her father. After the death of the pharaoh, according to ancient Egyptian principles, the entire harem was inherited by his successor Amentohep IV. The splendor of the girl did not leave the young ruler indifferent, who became known as Akhenaten, and he took her as his legal wife and she was able to rule Egypt together with her husband.
Queen Nefertiti actively helped her lover in state affairs; her strong character influenced many of her husband’s actions. Nefertiti was also influential in the foreign relations of other states with Egypt.
In her marriage to Akhenaten, the beauty gave birth to six daughters. The couple waited for a long time and in vain for an heir, and in the end the pharaoh decides to enter into a new marriage with a girl from a simple family, whose name was Kiya. The new wife pleased Akhenaten with a son, who is known to us as Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Queen Nefertiti was practically expelled; little Tutankhamun was given to her to raise. Soon, a year later, Akhenaten decides to bring Nefertiti back.
Their relationship, as history knows, was not as warm and reverent as it was before. Soon Nefertiti decides to teach her daughter the secrets of love and introduced her to Akhenaten as his wife, that is, the father married his own daughter. Such traditions undoubtedly seem unusual to modern people, but we are talking about ancient Egyptian traditions that were acceptable in their time. The practice of marriage between siblings in Ancient Egypt was popular; noble individuals did not want incest, but their family, naturally, could not last long.
After the death of the pharaoh, Nefertiti began to rule Egypt independently, her royal name became Smenkhkare. Her reign lasted about 5 years and was tragically cut short by murderous conspirators. There is an assumption that the queen's body was disfigured, Nefertiti's tomb was destroyed and devastated by thieves. Surely, if the circumstances of the death were different, scientists would be able to provide more accurate information about the queen to modern people.
The beauty of Queen Nefertiti
The queen's appearance can be described from existing evidence such as sculptures and drawings. According to them, Nefertiti was small in stature with a well-proportioned figure, her grace remaining unchanged even after the birth of six children. Her face was extraordinary for most Egyptian women; she had neat arched bright black eyebrows, her lips were full, and her eyes were colorfully expressive. The beauty of Queen Nefertiti would make many girls jealous in modern times.
There are also controversial rumors about the beauty's character. Some argue that she had a tough and obstinate character, her disposition was more similar to that of a man. Others, on the contrary, insist on Nefertiti’s grace and humility, on the fact that the queen was unusually prudent and educated for that time, her intelligent speeches helped her husband in governing the state.
There is also an opinion about what attracted the great pharaoh to this amazing woman: her pleasant appearance, her sound mind and wisdom or ability to love. Akhenaten could not forget about the beauty even after the appearance of his young wife and did not part with her almost until his death.
Bust of Queen Nefertiti
The bust of Nefertiti, this famous work of art, has been studied many times by scientists. More recently, researchers discovered that many of the queen's facial features were not true. Researchers from Germany decide to unveil the queen’s new appearance. Using computer technology, scientists examined the hidden features of the girl’s face under the retouching paint that was applied to the legendary bust.
As it turned out, the bust of Queen Nefertiti had a hump on her nose, her lips were not as large as depicted, her cheekbones were not as expressive and she had dimples on her cheeks. The invited specialist corrected the queen’s bust, namely: he made her gaze deeper, the cheekbone area became less protruding. As is obvious, the changes that occurred to the face of the sculpture were more negative than positive.
The actual image of the sculpture lacks an eye. It is assumed that the ancient Egyptians believed that when creating a sculpture, the image of both eyes meant that the soul of the person depicted was moving to another world. There is also an opinion that when depicting the pharaohs, their second eye was missing for the possibility of their rebirth.
Legends about Queen Nefertiti.
1. Scientists in England recently discovered a mummy whose external description is similar to the supposed appearance of Nefertiti. In this case, the theory about the girl’s mutilated body is erroneous.
2. Queen Nefertiti, despite the origin of her name, which means “foreigner,” was the sister of her future husband.
3. The union of Pharaoh and Nefertiti was planned and had nothing to do with love. Their relationship was strictly political. There is an opinion about the unconventional orientation of Pharaoh Akhenaten, who chose Kiya as his new wife only because of her masculine appearance.
4. The queen was not a calm and obedient wife, her influence on the pharaoh was great, she skillfully used her charm and wisdom, taking advantage of Akhenaten’s weak character. Many of the husband's relatives were exterminated at the request of the beauty.
Of course, the above hypotheses may not be facts, because they do not have scientific evidence. One way or another, the personality of the legendary beauty will remain in the memory of the public, undoubtedly, for many centuries. And we hope that researchers will be able to please us with new discoveries and facts about the life of this great queen.
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MENSBY
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Nefertiti was one of hundreds of princesses brought to give birth to sons and face old age alone... But fate gave her a unique chance...
Plastic surgeons copy the shape of her eyes, the shape of her lips and nose, fashionistas repeat the makeup of the famous queen, and designers create flowing dresses, sandals and ethnic jewelry, just like in her portraits...
The mystery of the royal origin of the “coming beauty”
Figure of Nefertiti, Limestone; Amarna; New Kingdom, 18th dynasty; c. 1345 BC
As it became known, Nefertiti was born in 1370 BC. e., but Egyptologists cannot come to a single answer to the question of where and into what family she was born.
Most are sure that the queen’s very name contains the secret of her origin. Nefertiti is translated from Egyptian as “the beauty who came,” which means that she came to Egypt from another region. A version arose that Nefertiti was the daughter of King Tushratta and Queen Juni from neighboring Mitania, a kingdom in Mesopotamia where the legendary Aryans lived. Her parents named the princess Tadukhipa and raised her in the traditions of the monotheistic Aryan religion, which taught to worship the sun as the only deity.
Probably, 12-year-old Taduchepa was sent by her father to Egypt as a gift for Pharaoh Amenhotep III to the “House of Ornaments” (harem) and became one of hundreds of foreign princesses brought to give birth to sons to the ruler and meet old age alone...
But fate gave her a unique chance...
The secret of Nefertiti's brilliant marriage.
Shortly after Nefertiti's arrival, Amenhotep III departed for the next world, and according to tradition, all of the pharaoh's wives had to be sacrificed and buried with the ruler. But the son of the deceased, young Amenhotep IV, saved Nefertiti from death and made him his wife. It is not difficult to guess that strong love pushed the young man to take such a bold step. He signed every state order with an oath of eternal love for God and Nefertiti.
The husband called the queen “the lady of joy, pacifying heaven and earth with a sweet voice and kindness” and “the delight of the heart.”
The secret of the queen's ideal beauty.
The famous bust of Nefertiti, which German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt excavated in the desert in 1912, is considered a real miracle of world art. Borchard secretly took the artifact to Germany and gave it to the Berlin Museum. Egyptian authorities demanded the return of the find, threatening Nefertiti with a deadly curse. The Germans rudely refused, and then the fascist leader took the figurine into his bunker and, they say, looked at the silent beauty day and night.
These days, the sculpture is still kept in the Berlin Museum, but the German authorities have begun to gradually give Egypt cultural heritage, and perhaps Nefertiti will return home soon!
So, how did the ancient master portray his queen: charming brown-green eyes, thick black eyebrows, sensual full lips, an elegant nose, strong-willed cheekbones, a swan neck and a miniature figure - Nefertiti looks simply flawless.
But, like any fashionista, the queen knew ways to become even more attractive: she painted her nails with henna or liquid gold, took baths with sea salt, rubbed aromatic oils into her skin, powdered herself with powder from crushed minerals, lined her eyes with antimony, smeared her lips with berry lipstick, wore translucent linen kalaziris dresses and statement jewelry (each lobe has two earrings). The pharaoh's wife loved wigs with pigtails, multi-colored strands and shiny clips, having hundreds of hair in her collection.
The secret of Nefertiti's limitless power.
Queen Nefertiti. Schengili-Roberts.
Nefertiti was a virtuoso in politics and the ability to persuade: she renamed herself Nefer Nefer Aten (“beautiful with the beauty of Aten”), advised her husband to abandon the gods of his ancestors and accept her religion, proclaiming the only God - the solar Aten, after which Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten ("pleasing to Aten") and built Akhetaten - a new capital in the Sahara. The pharaoh declared his wife a co-ruler and ordered that any of her orders be carried out. Nefertiti decided to destroy the ancient temples and begin persecution of the priests of the old faith.
The people silently accepted the new religion and prayed in the sun's rays with each dawn. The queen often went out onto the palace balcony and showered the Egyptians with gold coins, convincing them that these were gifts from Aten, and on holidays she performed artistically in front of her subjects, literally hypnotizing the crowd with her speeches.
But in her personal life, Nefertiti became a victim of circumstances: the ruling spouses had daughters one after another, and when the sixth baby was born, Akhenaten made the difficult decision to take a new wife. She became the young Kiya, who gave birth to the pharaoh’s “golden boy” Tutankhamun, thereby ensuring the continuation of the 18th dynasty. And Nefertiti had to leave the palace and live outside the city, raising Tutankhamun as the heir to the throne. A year later, the yearning pharaoh returned his first wife to his chambers, but they were destined to live in the palace for only a short time...
The mystery of the early death and immortal glory of the beautiful queen.
Soon the exiled priests united and carried out a religious revolution. 40-year-old Akhenaten was blinded and then executed, 35-year-old Nefertiti managed to rule for some more time as pharaoh under the name Smenkhkare, but in the end the queen was still killed. The rebel priests destroyed the temples of Aten, destroyed the city of Akhetaten and all the bas-reliefs of the royal family that were found. Nefertiti's tomb was plundered, and her body was mercilessly mutilated, consigned to oblivion for millennia.
And suddenly in 2003, British archaeologist Dr. Joann Fletcher announced to the whole world that she had found the mummy of Nefertiti. Scientists conducted a series of digital studies and found that the appearance of the mummified stranger completely coincides with the image of Nefertiti on ancient sculptures!...
