Nefertiti

WOMAN OF DISTINCTION LIFE OF A GORGEOUS QUEEN AN UNSOLVED

MYSTERY

One of the most famous royal women of the Eighteenth Dynasty.

She was the consort of AKHENATEN (r. 1353–1335 B.C.E.) and a leading figure at 'AMARNA.

Queen Nefertiti is often referred to in history as "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World.", is indeed, the most famous depiction of Queen Nefertiti.

SPOUSE

AKHENATAN , KING OF EGYPT

In his book Akhenaten, King of Egypt, the author Cyril Aldred quotes an eulogy of Nefertiti's found on the boundary stelae of Akhetaten. The inscription reads:    And the Heiress, Great in the Palace, Fair of Face, Adorned with the Double Plumes, Mistress of Happiness, Endowed with Favours, at hearing whose voice the King rejoices, the Chief Wife of the King, his beloved, the Lady of the Two Lands, Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti, May she live for Ever and Always.

WEDDING

AKHENATEN and NEFERTITI

POWERFUL COUPLEFor nearly thirty centuries, Akhenaten and Nefertiti remained completely forgotten even in the legendary history without any trace. Chisels removed their names off monuments, and even defaced their faces from the statues.

Their city was razed to the ground, its very bricks stolen and carried off. But, with the increasing successes in deciphering of hieroglyphics, a very faint picture of a king (either a saint /a criminal) and a queen who was too beautiful to describe began to appear.

Neferneferuaten Nefertiti lived from 1370 BC until 1340 BC. She was married to the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, who gave her many titles, including: Great Royal Wife, Hereditary Princess, Great of Praises, Lady of Grace, Sweet of Love, Lady of The Two Lands, Great King’s Wife, Lady of all Women, and Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt. Nefertiti was known for being very beautiful, and her name means “the beautiful one has come.”

Akhenaten and Nefertiti weren't just king and queen. They ruled side by side at equal levels. Nefertiti even taking roles that only a Pharaoh would.

GLOBAL ICON OF FEMININE BEAUTY AND POWER

Nefertiti was considered to be one of the most mysterious and powerful women in ancient Egypt. As a queen alongside Pharaoh Akhenaten from 1353 to 1336 B.C she may have ruled the New Kingdom outright after her husband’s death. Her reign was a time of tremendous cultural upheaval, as Akhenaten reoriented Egypt’s religious and political structure around the worship of the sun god Aten. Nefertiti is best known for her painted sandstone bust, which was rediscovered in 1913 and became a global icon of feminine beauty and power.

NEFERTITI’S COSTUME

EXAMINING A LOST QUEEN

DIGGING THE TRUTH

Nefertiti, whose name means "the beautiful one has come," was the queen of Egypt and wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten during the 14th century B.C. She and her husband found the cult of Aten, the sun god, and promoted Egyptian artwork that was radically different from its predecessors. A bust of Nefertiti is one of the most iconic symbols of Egypt.

SYMBOL OF HER COUNTRY’S HISTORY

Her beauty is marked by the graceful curve of the long neck, the arched eyebrow, and the hint of a smile on the queen's sensual full lips is a far cry from the symmetrical frozen immobility of the traditional Egyptian statuary making her the most recognizable queen of ancient Egypt and a symbol of her country's history.

FROM A MYSTERIOUS ORIGIN

Although Little is known about the origins of Nefertiti, but her legacy of beauty and power continue to intrigue scholars today. Her name is Egyptian and means "the beautiful one has come." Some evidence suggests that she hailed from the town Akhmim and is the daughter or niece of a high official named Ay. Other theories suggest that she was born in a foreign country

TIMELESS BEAUTY

The beauty of Nefertiti was timeless as it surpassed everything, time and space. She has come to be known as one of the best in history, and her bust, which the German team smuggled out of Egypt to Berlin , had been disguised as broken pieces of pottery, is the most copied and admired in the world.

THE BUST OF NEFERTITIOn December 6, 1913, a team led by German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt discovered a sculpture buried upside-down in the sandy rubble on the floor of the excavated workshop of the royal sculptor Thutmose in Amarna. The painted figure featured a slender neck, gracefully proportioned face and a curious blue cylindrical headpiece of a style only seen in images of Nefertiti. Borchardt’s team had an agreement to split its artefacts with the Egyptian government, so the bust was shipped as part of Germany’s portion. A single, poor photograph was published in an archaeological journal and the bust was given to the expedition’s funder, Jacques Simon, who displayed it for the next 11 years in his private residence.

In 1922 British Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered King Tut’s tomb. A flurry of international attention followed, and the image of Tut’s solid gold funerary mask was soon a global symbol of beauty, wealth and power.

A year later the Nefertiti bust was put on display in Berlin, countering the “English” Tut with a German appropriation of ancient glamour. Throughout the 20th century’s upheavals, the bust remained in German hands. It was revered by Hitler (who said, “I will never relinquish the head of the Queen”), hidden from Allied bombs in a salt mine and coveted by East Germany throughout the Cold War. Today it draws more than 500,000 visitors annually to Berlin’s Neues Museum.

The statue of Queen Nefertiti seen during a press preview at the 'Neues Museum' (New Museum) building in Berlin October 15, 2009. As of January 24, 2011, Egypt has formally requested the return of the famous 3,400-year-old bust, which is part of a permanent Egyptian exhibition on display at the museum in Berlin. (REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch)

AMBASSADOR OF EGYPTA German foundation rejected an Egyptian request to return the 3,400-year-old bust of Queen Nefertiti, a sculpture which draws over one million viewers annually to a Berlin museum.Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) sent the request to the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation which runs the Neues Museum in the German capital where the bust is kept.

The foundation president Professor Hermann Parzinger said in a statement that their position of the

custody of her statue remains unchanged. He said, "She is and remains the ambassador of Egypt in Berlin.“

Egypt's antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass, appealed to the foundation seeking the return of the bust, famed for its almond-shaped eyes and swan-like neck. However, the foundation said it did not consider the letter an official state request as it had not been signed by Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif.

German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt discovered the bust about 275 km south of Cairo in 1912, and it was taken to Germany the following year.

Hawass, who sent a similar letter in 2009, has said in the past that documents presented by the Neues Museum confirmed Borchardt tried to pass the bust off as a less significant find to secure it for Berlin. The museum has said it was acquired lawfully and Egypt had no legal claim to it.

LIFE AS A CONSORT TO AKHENATEN

It was believed that she was only 15 when she married Amenhotep IV. They apparently ruled together from 1353 to 1336 B.C. and had six daughters, with speculation that they may have also had a son. Artwork from the day depicts the couple and their daughters in an unusually naturalistic and individualistic style, more so than from earlier eras. The king and his head queen seem to be inseparable in reliefs, often shown riding in chariots together and even kissing in public. It has been stated that the couple may have had a genuine romantic connection, a dynamic not generally seen in ancient pharaoh depiction.

The royal family resided in a constructed city meant to honor their god, also called Akhenaten in what is now known as el-Amarna. There were several open-air temples in the city, and at the center stood the palace.

DEPICTION IN EGYPTIAN ART

PAINTING

WORSHIP OF SUN GOD

Nefertiti and the pharaoh played an active role in establishing the Aten cult, a religious mythology which defined Aten, the sun, as the most important god and only one worthy of worship in Egypt's polytheistic canon. Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten (also seen as "Akenhaten" in some references) to honor the deity.

It was believed that the king and queen were priests and it was only through them ordinary citizens obtained access to Aten.

REIGNDuring her regime, Egypt went through a radical and religious metamorphosis. Hundred years of polytheistic worship was exchanged for a new cult called Monotheism. As a result, old gods were disregarded and temples were closed, priests were forced to give up their ways. As believed by the Historians this transition could not have been adopted by the priests or citizens so easily.

Her reign with Akhenaten was quite different than the traditional ways Egypt had witnessed. She was more than a typical queen in Adopting the Pharoh’s views.

Though her reign lasted for 12 years yet was probably one of the most powerful women to have ever ruled. In support of her husband’s beliefs she even changed her bame to Neferneferunaten-Nefertiti which means, “ the Aten is radiant of radiance because the beautiful one has come.” Her importance was greatly valued by Akhenaten that he went to great lengths to show her as his counterpart.

She assumed powerful roles and showed her supremacy in ways only Egyptian Kings did.

NEFERTITI AS A QUEEN

Akenaten valued her so much, that he also allowed her to practice the art of priesthood and she too was allowed to make worship offering to Aten.

As illustrated in the picture she was often shown with the crown of a Pharaoh or was depicted in scenes of battle fighting her enemies.

NEFERTITI WARRIOR PRINCESS

On the walls of tombs and temples built during Akhenaten’s reign Nefertiti is depicted alongside her husband with a frequency seen for no other Egyptian queen. In many cases she is shown in positions of power and authority—leading worship of Aten, driving a chariot or smiting an enemy.

DISAPPEARANCE

In several reliefs she is shown wearing the crown of a pharaoh or smiting her enemies in battle. Despite her great power, Nefertiti disappears from all depictions after 12 years. The reason for her disappearance is unknown. Some scholars believe that she died, while others speculate she was elevated to the status of co-regent, equal in status to the pharaoh, and dressed herself as a man. Some say she became known as Pharaoh Smenkhkare, ruling Egypt after her husband’s death. Others suggest she was exiled when the worship of the deity Amen-Ra came back into vogue. Her mummy has not been found.

NEFERTITI AS A POSSIBLE RULER

Nefertiti disappears from the historical record around the 12th year of Akhenaten’s 17-year reign. She may have died at that point, but it is possible she became her husband’s official co-regent under the name Neferneferuaten. Akhenaten was followed as pharaoh by Smenkhkare, who some historians suggest may have been another name for Nefertiti.

This would not have been without precedent: In the 15th century B.C. the female pharaoh Hatshepsut ruled Egypt in the guise of a man, complete with a ceremonial false beard.

If Nefertiti kept power during and beyond Akhenaten’s last years, it is possible she began the reversal of her husband’s religious polices that would reach fruition during the reign of King Tut. At one point Neferneferuaten employed a scribe to make divine offerings to Amun, pleading for him to return and dispel the kingdom’s darkness.

PROMINENT ROLE IN ROYAL RULE

Nefertiti's prominent role in Egyptian royal rule and religious worship reflects her influence in the public sphere.

Some believe she was the power behind the throne and thus responsible for the changes during the rule of Akhenaten until being dismissed from her position and banished to the North Palace at Amarna.

This would mean there was a conflict within the royal family, with Nefertiti favoring the continued worship of Aten while Akhenaten and his son-in-law Tutankhamen (c. 1370–c. 1352 B.C.E. ) supported a return to the worship of Amen-Ra. 

WIPED OUT OF THE MEMORYAkhenatan came to be considered as one of the greatest kings of Egypt. He was a pharaoh, who was too brave, or crazy enough to throw away one of the most enduring pillars of the establishments. Defying the priests of Amun, he started a new ethic-based monotheistic religion, and erected a beautiful city 300 miles north ofThebes .

However, within a few years of Akhenatan’s death, his successors reacted in a swift and complete manner to his rebellion, leaving nothing of his religion or his city. Even his name and that of his queen were obliterated from the memory of men.

A wife, loved by her husband Akhenaten, a mother adored by her family, a monotheist blessed by the sun god, and a queen worshiped by her people, Nefertiti suddenly and completely vanished from the record.

REFERENCES

1.www.kingtutone.com2.www.biography.com3. Freed, Rita E., Yvonne J. Markowitz, and Sue H. D'Auria, eds. Pharaohs of the Sun. Boston: Little, Brown, 1999.4. Tyldesley, Joyce A. Nefertiti: Egypt's Sun Queen. New York: Viking, 1998.5. www.alshindagah.com

PRESENTER

Ms. Dayamani Surya holds Master’s Degree in the English Literature from Osmania University, Hyderabad, Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching of English from CIEFL, Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching of English from CIEFL, Bachelor’s degree in Science and Bachelor’s degree in Education.

She holds online professional certifications:•Project Management•Human Resource Management•Financial Accounting• Management and Accounting• Business Process Outsourcing•Advance Learning Certificate in English Literature Analysis from Ireland.

As a Research Associate in the District Centre for English Scheme, Department of Training and Development, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad since 1 May 2007, her work focuses on administration, curriculum development and teaching in the International Training Programme for Foreign Students at the University.

At the personal level, she works online as a Free lance writer, mentor, helps the scholars in their project work, compilation of articles and papers, contributes to the publication of articles and journals. She is interested in writing diaries, blogs and short stories. Her topics of interest are World History, Biographies, Art and photos, Journalism etc.