Love passion, betrayal and revenge in Egyptian: Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Love story Egyptian Queen Nefertiti and Pharaoh Amenhotep, which is more than three thousand years old, is still alive in the memory of descendants. And she, like any love, was filled with unbridled passion and trepidation. There was also a love triangle, and cold-blooded betrayal, and sweet revenge.

The mystery of the origin of Nefertiti

One of the legends that have survived to this day about the extraordinary beauty, wisdom and enterprise of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti, wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, says that she was born in Mesopotamia in the family of King Tashrut. The approximate date of birth of the future ruler of Egypt is 1370 BC. It is likely that Nefertiti's real name is Taduhepa. The girl from the very birth was distinguished by a truly unearthly beauty, and at the age of 13 she was sent to Egypt as a gift to Pharaoh Amenhotep III, in order to strengthen dynastic ties.

According to another legend, it is likely that the real father of Nefertiti was Amenhotep III himself, and the mother of the girl was the concubine of his harem, in which the grown-up beauty later turned out to be herself. There are several more minor versions, but, alas, none of them has enough historical evidence.

In most cases, albeit conditionally, it is still believed that the elderly pharaoh Amenhotep III became the first spouse of a young beauty. From the age of thirteen, Nefertiti lived as a concubine in his harem. And when the ruler died, all his wives were expected to die, since according to the laws of centuries-old Egyptian traditions, Pharaoh's concubines were buried with the deceased.

Nefertiti beloved wife of the pharaoh

Young Nefertiti is saved by chance: a fateful acquaintance with the ruler's son Amenhotep IV (later he would be known as Akhenaten), which radically changed the fate of the girl. Captivated by the extraordinary beauty and grace of his father's concubine, he married Nefertiti. And instead of the painful death that all the inhabitants of the harem of the deceased ruler underwent, she suddenly becomes the "main wife" of the new ruler of Egypt, Amenhotep IV. The girl was really breathtakingly beautiful, and it was not for nothing that she was considered the daughter of the goddess of beauty herself.

Soon, strong feelings flared up between the pharaoh and the "main wife". Despite the fact that the ruler of Egypt had a frail physique, an unattractive face, and an unbearable character, in which the main features were hot temper, capriciousness, rancor, Nefertiti fell in love with him with all her soul. And it should be noted that this love, of course, was mutual. Soon, Amenhotep abandoned numerous wives and exalted the one and only, declaring her "the great royal wife."

Their great love can be judged by the numerous frescoes, sculptures and bas-reliefs. Everywhere a young woman and her husband are depicted illuminated with happiness: in the garden, on a throne, praying to the new single god of the Sun - Ra, who, on the orders of Amenhotep, replaced all the former Egyptian gods.

Egypt's new religion

The young 16-year-old wife made a sensible decision from the first day - not to contradict her husband's ambitions, but to support him. Amenhotep IV, who came to the throne, proclaimed the era of a new religion, according to which Aton, the only god personifying the sun, came to replace many gods. After a while, Akhenaten and Nefertiti, having created the cult of the god Aton, themselves began to consider themselves gods on earth. The name "Nefertiti" was interpreted as "a beautiful woman came." She personified the feminine element of creation, and Akhenaten - the masculine element of being, together they were considered very important components for the cult of the sun god. Pharaoh proclaimed himself the son of Aton and ordered to call himself Akhenaten, thereby emphasizing his divine origin.

In all his endeavors, the sovereign was supported by a young wife, which brought considerable privileges for Nefertiti - the pharaoh declared his wife a co-ruler. Having gained power, the wife of the ruler of Egypt did not become the second figure in the state. She did not sit in the chambers of the palace, but together with her husband she received ambassadors and great persons of other states, went with him to various ceremonies and personally held events glorifying the new god.

After 12 years of joint reign, Pharaoh Akhenaten had tremendous power, his empire became more powerful than ever. One thing overshadowed the happy union of Akhenaten and Nefertiti - the spouse, regularly giving birth to children to the pharaoh, gave birth to six daughters, but could not give the pharaoh an heir to the throne.

Betrayal

And after the death of the ruler's mother and his three daughters, Akhenaten lost interest in Nefertiti. The death of the pharaoh's children was unequivocally regarded as a bad sign, and the cult of Aten was under threat. Now the ruler literally began to rave about his son, whom his wife could not give birth to. Akhenaten turned his back on his own family and turned his gaze to the beauties of the harem.

And when the new capital, Akhetaton, was finally built, he moved there alone, leaving his wife in ancient Thebes. The reigning couple conceived the construction of this fabulous city only after getting married. In a little over a decade, the city was built. On. They thought together, and Pharaoh moved to the new capital alone. An unbearable resentment burned out the soul of Queen Nefertiti, but nothing could be done, she had to put up with it.

Pharaoh's second wife

Among the concubines of the harem, Kiya, a girl of the royal family, stood out with a special beauty. The pretty old pharaoh decided on it. Kiya soon finally gave birth to his long-awaited son, and the ruler's happiness was beyond measure. He literally showered the new wife with gifts and honors. However, he did not dare to declare Kiyu a "great wife" with Nefertiti alive. But even then the cunning pharaoh came up with a way out, he bestowed the new beloved the title of "junior pharaoh", elevated her to the throne and put on her head the crown of supreme power - a tiara with the image of a sacred snake.

However, not having time to enjoy the royal power, young Kiya soon died for unknown reasons. Pharaoh did not particularly regret her death, since by that time he had already begun to cool towards her. The second wife turned out to be far from such a devoted and loyal assistant in public affairs as Nefertiti was. It was her that the pharaoh, who was lonely in the new capital, began to remember more and more often. In the end, unable to bear it, he sent an escort for her. However, the abandoned queen refused to even see her traitorous husband! She was never able to forgive him for betrayal …

Daughter's revenge for the abused honor of the mother

The title of "great royal wife" was soon passed on to her daughter Meritaton by Nefertiti, whom she herself taught all the exquisite caresses that her husband liked … And Pharaoh married his own eldest daughter, who bore him both a granddaughter and a daughter in one person. As you know, such marriages eventually led to the degeneration of the royal dynasty of Egypt.

And Meritaton, being the third wife of the Pharaoh, fully avenged her mother's outraged feelings, ordering to erase the name of Kiya from everything that could survive the centuries: stone steles, bas-reliefs, walls of palaces. And now it is known for certain that in the seventeenth year of the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten, the name of the second wife of Kiyya did not appear anywhere next to his name.

This was much more than revenge, for the loss of a name for the ancient Egyptian was the most terrible punishment. Without him, the eternal afterlife was impossible, and therefore it was believed that having lost him, a person sank into oblivion.

Tutankhamun

After Akhenaten and Nefertiti left for another world, the cult of the sun god Aton finally lost its relevance. After the death of the eldest daughter and third wife of Pharaoh Meritaton, the reign passed to the only son of Akhenaten - Tutunkaton. Despite his young age, he will ascend the throne, and will go down in history under the name - Tutankhamun. Over time, the new king will return the religion of Egypt to the previous canons - temples will be reopened to worship other gods, and he will declare his father, Akhenaten-Amenhotep IV, a heretic. Thus, the suffering son of Pharaoh, dishonored the name of his father, who imagined himself to be a deity.

Unknown burial of the Egyptian queen

But, interestingly, the real burial place of the influential queen, unlike her husband, has not yet been found. For several decades now, archaeological scientists have made loud statements from time to time that the tomb of the first wife of the pharaoh has been discovered. However, a thorough examination and analysis of the finds do not confirm the reliability of these facts.

Almost five years ago, Egyptologist Carl Nicholas Reeves confidently stated that the sarcophagus with the remains of Nefertiti is in a secret room, which is located in the tomb of Tutankhamun. But further controversial disputes about whether to dismantle the wall hiding the possible tomb of Nefertiti, the matter did not advance.

But descendants have been judging the appearance of the beautiful ruler of Egypt Nefertiti for more than three millennia by the surviving bust, which was discovered during archaeological excavations of the ancient Egyptian city of Akhetatona. Now the bust of the queen is kept in the walls of the New Museum in Berlin.

Unlike the beautiful Nefertiti, whose appearance is known to the whole world, we can only assume the authentic appearance of Roksolana, the wife of the Turkish sultan who ruled five centuries ago. Read about this amazing woman in the review: Truth and legends about the beloved wife of Sultan Suleiman: What really was Roksolana.