Queen Nefertiti (Nefer-Neferu-Aton) (end of the 15th century BC - 1354 BC), the main wife of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV), during the reign of which the largest religious reform.
“It's pointless to describe. - Look!"
… Dust began to crumble from a small piece of stone … and the archaeologists froze, unable to move or say even a word … A beautiful woman looked at them, smiling a little … A graceful long neck, perfect cheekbones, an exquisite outline of nostrils, full lips, which, it seemed that they would open up a little more in a smile …
In the small Arab village of El-Amarna, in the sculptural workshop of the ancient Egyptian artist Thutmose, an inexpressibly beautiful female head was found: a high wig entwined with a gold band, on the forehead a urey (snake) is a symbol of royal power, the right eye, with a blue iris made of rock crystal and with a pupil made of ebony, such a feeling, looks directly at you … On the same day, the archaeologist Borchardt wrote in his diary: “There is no point in describing. - Look!.
In order to take this sculpture, which they could no longer part with, to Berlin, scientists had to commit fraud. They wrapped the bust in foil, and then covered the bust with plaster, "aged" it, turning it into a stone block beaten by time, to which neither the customs officers nor the Egyptian inspectors paid attention. (This image of the Queen of Egypt Nefertiti is still kept in the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Berlin. It was never exhibited in Egypt.)
When the fraud was exposed, a terrible international scandal broke out, ending only in the Second World War. However, for many years, the way to Egypt was closed to German archaeologists …
The discovery, which was made in 1912 by the German archaeologist L. Borchardt, spread all over the world - the beauty of a woman who lived so long ago that it was difficult to imagine, conquered everyone. She became the "star" of the 20th century, proving that true beauty is eternal.
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… She truly loved and was loved. In her life there was one man, one love, a lot of happiness, but also a lot of suffering.
Probably, she amazed everyone with her cuteness, since she was called "The Beauty is Coming", or - Nefertiti. According to one version, her parents were from the priestly caste of the city of Coptos. The father, a court nobleman, was called Ey, and his mother, Tii, was the second cousin of Akhenaten's mother, Teie. However, for some reason in the official documents Tii is called only "the nurse of Nefertiti, the great wife of the king." Perhaps this was done to hide Nefertiti's "undivine" origin or her blood connection with the priestly caste.
In any case, her family was rich and lived in the most brilliant city in the world - in Thebes, the capital of Egypt, during its heyday. Since childhood, Nefertiti was surrounded by huge temples and luxurious palaces, majestic statues and avenues of sphinxes. Ivory, the most expensive incense, gold, ebony - all the most valuable and luxurious that could be in the world, were taken to Thebes. She had a happy childhood, and from the hands of loving parents, she immediately fell into the arms of her beloved husband.
This loyalty was indecent for the pharaoh
… From the first moment, from the first glance, which Amenhotep IV threw at his young wife, he realized that now there is only one woman for him. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life, and she became the One for him for 12 long years.
Such loyalty was amazing and even indecent for the pharaoh, this feeling amazed everyone around - courtiers, nobles, enemies-priests.
Pharaoh had a large harem, and in order to reduce the influence of Queen Nefertiti, they began to send him the most beautiful concubines from all over the world.
However, Akhenaten saw only the beauty of his Nefertiti. Moreover, she turned out to be a wonderful friend, a wise advisor, who understood human nature well, but at the same time she was pure in spirit and friendly to everyone without exception.
- No, just look, - they whispered in the palace, - how can this be ?! Well, okay, made him the main wife, but he doesn't look at other women AT ALL. He remains faithful to her, although he can possess thousands of beauties, if he only wants to !!!
Never before have ancient Egyptian artists portrayed in their works - sculptures, bas-reliefs - such a clear feeling of love of a royal couple. They are always depicted together, side by side, as if they never parted.
… Here they are sitting side by side at the festive table, which was laid in honor of the arrival of Akhenaten's mother, Teie, and next to them are their three daughters, musicians. Servants are scurrying around.
… Here is the scene of the front exit: the pharaoh and his wife were so carried away by the conversation that they did not notice how their youngest daughter urged on a team racing with a pole at full speed.
… But an almost erotic moment - the spouses were captured by the sculptor during a passionate love kiss.
And in all these scenes, Aton is always present - the new main deity - a solar disk with many hands that protect the couple, promising them eternal life …
Perhaps Akhenaten was right in choosing a new deity for himself and his people, - after all, his name and the name of his wife have actually survived through the centuries …
There is an assumption that Amenhotep was considered a rather strange ruler - humane, kind and proclaiming some "unthinkable" principles - equality and love between people and peace between nations. The pharaoh of Egypt, who lived 3,000 years ago, professed downright Christian values. However, despite this, it was Amenhotep IV who did what NONE of the 350 rulers who occupied the Egyptian throne had dared to do before. He rebelled against pagan polytheism, declaring that the main god is one. And this is Aton, the solar disk, which brings life to everything earthly.
In the name of this religion, he adopted a new name Akhenaten, which means "pleasing to Aton", and Nefertiti, who supported her husband with all her passion, took the name "Nefer-Nefer-Aton" - "the beautiful beauty of Aton", or "sun-faced".
Of course, in addition to humanistic motives and religious ideals, the pharaoh and his wife had their own political goals. By that time, the influence of the priests of various cults had become quite strong. The high priests (especially Amun) possessed the best lands, beautiful buildings and a very strong influence on the people and courtiers, at times they could rival the influence of the pharaoh himself. So, "abolishing" their religions and proclaiming himself and his wife the high priests of the new cult, Akhenaten "killed two birds with one stone."
It was dangerous, and he needed reliable allies - Queen Nefertiti became his most devoted friend, devoted fanatically, completely.
They began to build a new capital for the new deity - the city of Akhetaton. In a beautiful and fertile valley between Thebes and Memphis, where the snow-white rocks, coming close to the river, and then retreating, form an almost regular semicircle, and this grandiose construction began.
Many slaves at the same time erected snow-white temples, palaces for the pharaoh and courtiers, housing for artisans, warehouses, administrative buildings, workshops … Huge trees were brought here and planted in pits carved into the rocky ground and filled with water - it was too long to wait until greenery will hatch on this earth …
And, as if in a fairy tale, in the middle of the desert a beautiful city grew up with lakes and palaces, sparkling with gilding and inlays of semi-precious stones, in which the floors were painted like ponds with fish swimming in them.
This city belonged to both of them - Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti of Egypt.
The great royal wife, Lady of Upper and Lower Egypt, the wife of God was herself a divine incarnation on earth. As the high priestess, she took part with the pharaoh in the most important temple rituals, appeasing the supreme deity with the beauty of her voice and the charm of her face. “She leads Aten to rest with a sweet voice and beautiful hands with sistras, at the sound of her voice they rejoice” - these words, enclosed in hieroglyphs, were carved during her lifetime. Huge sculptures of Nefertiti in the image of the daughter of the Sun adorned the palace walls. The palace was erected in the capital to celebrate the sixth anniversary of Akhenaten's rule.
The hieroglyphs deciphered by Egyptologists convince us that the beauty of the "mistress of joy, full of praises …" was not only external, but also internal. She had a beautiful soul - "the mistress of pleasures", contemporaries wrote about her, "pacifying Heaven and Earth with a sweet voice and her kindness."
Nefertiti was beautiful and knew this, but she was lucky - despite this knowledge, which broke the fate of many women, despite her deification, she was able to remain herself.
Perhaps that is why Eternity spared her?
She loved to wear white translucent dresses made of the finest corrugated linen.
“The delight of my heart,” Akhenaten called her and scribbled over the papyrus scrolls with words about the ideal family happiness that fell to his lot. “Our love will last forever,” thought the romantic pharaoh.
But his prediction did not come true. After 12 years of a happy marriage, Nefertiti has a rival.
Aton turned his face away from her
What could be the reason? Fading love, unforgiving time?
The fact that Queen Nefertiti, having given birth to 6 girls, did not give the Pharaoh an heir?.. Her elusive beauty?
Or maybe Nefertiti herself fell in love with another?
There is a beautiful legend that the sculptor Thutmes, who perpetuated her beauty, hopelessly fell in love with the "wife of God" on the day of the Pharaoh's ascension to the throne. And, having captured a beautiful face in his memory, he carved it out of simple sandstone for many weeks, since he was poor, and he did not have money for marble (this unfinished head of a young Nefertiti was also preserved to this day).
Thutmes was the author of the second, most famous bust of Nefertiti. When his workshop was dug up, among his belongings they found a casket with the inscription: "the sculptor Thutmes praised by the pharaoh," which means that he was already represented at the court, and there is a version that he helped Nefertiti in the design and construction of the tomb for her daughter.
Perhaps it was his love that made her look so perfect? But was it mutual?..
Or maybe the spouses were separated by the death of their daughter, Macketaton, which everyone experienced alone.
We will never know the answer to this question.
But the name of the lover is known - Kiya. According to one version, the new main wife was not an Egyptian - this princess was sent to Akhenaten as a sign of friendship between the two states. Qiya gave the pharaoh the long-awaited sons of Smenkhkar and Tutankhaton. And new frescoes emerging from under the cutters of the masters depicted her even in the crown of the pharaoh as co-ruler of Akhenaten. From the bas-reliefs, a broad-cheeked face with a hard expression of eyes and mouth looks at us, rude and beautiful only with the audacity of youth.
And Nefertiti, yesterday a demigoddess, and today a woman abandoned and abandoned by her husband, is "exiled" to one of the castles on the northern outskirts of the city, in fact, transferred to the status of a simple concubine.
The great Aton turned his face away from her!.. How can she live without love?..
On the last lifetime sculpture, Nefertiti is depicted tired, with a tired face, there is a certain breakdown in her whole appearance, and after six births the figure has already lost the perfection of lines.
Four years later, Akhenaten is tired of his new wife, and he sends her away. However, it is no longer possible to return Nefertiti - her love was too sincere and her disappointment was too strong …
And then Akhenaten marries their eldest daughter Meritaton (who bore him a daughter).
And then another of the younger ones - Achesenpaaton. In ancient Egypt, such marriages between blood relatives were common. But perhaps Akhenaten wanted to turn back time, trying to see in the faces of his daughters a reflection of the beauty of their mother Nefertiti?
By the way, Meritaton, avenging the broken heart of her mother, began to destroy all images and references to Kiya, as if erasing any mention of her from the memory of descendants from the face of the earth. Even after her death, Kiya was not destined to find peace - her mummy (probably by order of one of Nefertiti's daughters) was thrown out of the crypt, the death mask was disfigured, and the inscriptions with her name were carved. Only from the inscriptions on the vessels, in which the Egyptians buried the entrails separately, did they restore the name of the one who was deprived of tranquility after death. And her eldest son was buried in the sarcophagus.
Cruel revenge …
When Akhenaten died, his last wife and daughter, Akhesenpaaton, were married to her half-brother Tutankhaton. The priests persuaded the young pharaoh to return to his former faith and change his name to Tutankhamun. The capital was returned to Thebes, temples and statues dedicated to Aton were destroyed, any mention of him was erased from the scrolls and destroyed on the bas-reliefs, people began to leave Achenaton, leaving for the old capital.
A mirage city dies with its queen
Nefertiti grew old, and with her the beautiful mirage city erected by her husband grew old and destroyed - from both of them, drop by drop, life went into the sand of the desert that surrounded them. She was destined to survive both her beloved spouse, and the destruction of their faith, and the death of the city that they built together. She possessed the whole world - and she lost everything.
What were her last hours? Whose face did she remember, whose name was on her lips?
According to legend, she, at her request, was buried in a modest sarcophagus next to Akhenaten (and not in gold, like her rival Kiya), in a tomb among the rocks that surrounded their city.
But the name and fate of the Queen of Egypt Nefertiti were not lost in the sands of Eternity.
Thousands of years later, in a world that has changed beyond recognition, her beautiful features, which glow with true love and happiness, still delight people with their perfection, giving them the joy of touching true beauty.