Nefertiti is the most mysterious woman in history. She was called "the mistress of joy." The bust of the queen, which is more than three thousand years old, is still considered the standard of beauty.
December 6, 1912
The famous bust of Queen Nefertiti, in its mystery, leaves far behind all the masterpieces of world art. It can be called the "Mona Lisa" of the Ancient World. Despite the fact that it was created almost five thousand years ago, it is perfectly preserved - a woman is looking at us, whose facial proportions would be recognized as perfect today.
The bust was found during his expedition by the German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt. In his archaeological diary, the meticulous scientist, opposite the sketch of the monument, wrote only one phrase: "It is pointless to describe - you have to look."
This bust was created by the ancient Egyptian sculptor Thutmose. For ancient Eastern art, this was a real revolution.
In 1913, Borchardt, having previously smeared the find with plaster, took it to Germany. After 20 years, Egypt was outraged and asked to return the bust back. But Germany refused, which is why all German archaeologists were prohibited from working in Egypt. So Nefertiti "quarreled" the two countries
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The bust is still kept in the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Berlin.
Beautiful has come
Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs did not display vowel sounds. Therefore, the name Nefertiti can be considered conditional. The largest Soviet Egyptologist, Yuri Perepelkin, wrote the name of the queen like this: Nfrtt.
Most often "Nefertiti" is translated as "The beautiful beauty of Aton, the beauty has come." This word "has come" has occupied the minds of historians for centuries. Until now, not a single clear evidence of the origin of Nefertiti has been found.
According to one version, she was an Egyptian, since a foreigner could not become the main wife of the pharaoh in Egypt. According to Egyptian versions, Nefertiti was either the daughter of Amenhotep III, or, more likely, the daughter of the dignitary Aye and his wife Tiya. The younger sister Nefertiti Mutnedzhmet openly called Tia a mother.
According to the "overseas" version of the origin, Nefertiti was a Mitannian princess sent to the court of Akhenaten's father, Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Allegedly, he also liked her, and the next pharaoh - Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) made her his main wife and companion.
None of the versions today can be considered completely convincing. The origin of Nefertiti is still a mystery.
Great wife
Nefertiti was the wife of the unbridled reformer of Ancient Egypt. Amenhotep IV moved the capital to a new city - Akhetaton - which he had previously built three hundred kilometers from the former capital - Thebes.
Amenhotep carried out a serious religious reform, elevating the sun - Aton to the rank of the only deity. For himself, he took the name Akhenaten, which translates as "useful to Aton", but among the Egyptians, dissatisfied with the overthrow of the old gods, the nickname "Enemy from Akhet-Aton" was fixed for him. So the chroniclers designated the king in the scrolls after his death, not wanting to pronounce the name.
What Akhenaten did was colossal in scale, and the researchers note that he was not doing it alone - he was helped by Nefertiti. Together they left their palace early in the morning and greeted the sun. Nefertiti herself conducted religious services, and prayers were offered to her in the temple of Aten in Thebes. Nefertiti was also identified with the goddess Tefnut - the goddess of moisture, the daughter of the Sun-Ra, and could depict the queen in the form of a sphinx.
The broken triad
“She escorts Aton to rest with a sweet voice and beautiful hands with sistras, - says about Nefertiti in the inscriptions of the tombs of contemporary noblemen, - at the sound of her voice they rejoice.”
Judging by the surviving images of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, their relationship was more than just the union of the eldest wife and the pharaoh. In fact, Akhenaten created a divine triad, at the base of which he was with Nefertiti.
The royal couple was depicted in the frame of brilliant processions that replaced the great gods of the traditional Egyptian pantheon. There are many and quite everyday sketches depicting Akhenaten, Nefertiti and their daughters. Nefertiti gave birth to 6 daughters to Pharaoh, and the death of one of them - Maketaton - violated everything in Nefertiti's life. Most likely, she fell into disgrace. Her place was taken by the secondary queen from the female house of Akhenaten - Kiya, and later - by the eldest daughter of Nefertiti - Meritaton.
The mystery of Nefertiti
By the irony of history, if you believe in the Egyptian version of the origin of the queen, then it was her father, Eia, who became Pharaoh, who again led Egypt to the orthodox faith.
The mentions of Nefertiti disappear already two years after the death of his daughter. Some historians today go in their search for Nefertiti to fantastic versions. According to one of them, after the death of Akhenaten, Nefertiti ruled Egypt under the name of Pharaoh Smenkhkar.