Nefertiti, whose name means “the beautiful one has come”, was the chief wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14th century BC. Thanks to her painted limestone bust, now in Berlin, her face is one of the best known from the ancient world.
Queen and partner
Nefertiti was more than a royal wife. In temple scenes she is shown making offerings to the Aten beside her husband and even smiting enemies, a pose normally kept for kings. She and Akhenaten had six daughters, often shown in affectionate family scenes. One of them, Ankhesenamun, later married Tutankhamun.
Nefertiti pastWhat happened to her?
Nefertiti disappears from the records late in her husband’s reign. Some scholars think she died; others think she ruled alongside him or after him under another name, Neferneferuaten. Her tomb and mummy have never been securely identified, and the search goes on.
The bust of Nefertiti
The bust was found in 1912 by a German team led by Ludwig Borchardt in the workshop of the sculptor Thutmose at Amarna. It was taken to Germany and is now in the Neues Museum in Berlin. Egypt has asked for its return.
