When the bust of Nefertiti was found in 1912, the world held its breath. The Egyptian queen is considered the epitome of feminine and majestic beauty. Her slender neck, large eyes, and high cheekbones electrified onlookers—her pose demonstrates her position far above ordinary mortals. This nimbus still works today. Her name means “beauty has come” and the bust follows the rules of the “golden ratio” with perfect proportions.
Two mummies have now been discovered in the Valley of the Kings. Zahi Hawass, the former Minister of State for Antiquities in Egypt, conducted the excavations at the Valley of the Kings in what is now Luxor. He believes that one mummy is Nefertiti and the other is her daughter Ankhesenamun, Tutankhamun’s wife.
“In October we will be able to announce the discovery of the mummy of Ankhesenamun, the wife of Tutankhamun, and her mother Nefertiti,” he said. The mummies are believed to have come from tombs KV21 and KV35 in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor. Then the riddle should soon be solved as to whether the real queen was as beguilingly beautiful as her bust. Hawass said after the mummy’s DNA analysis, CT scans of the head will be commissioned, which will then show “the most complete and accurate picture of the queen”.
Discoveries and exhibitions multiplied under Zahi Hawass. There is currently a gigantic exhibition with artefacts and three-dimensional simulations about the time of Ramses II on his world tour. The PR offensive surrounding the pharaohs is of great importance for the country’s identity and for tourism in Egypt. They don’t shy away from staging like in Hollywood. Zahi Hawass is a driving force behind this, saying, “We’ve barely found 30 percent of everything that’s underground.” Modern Egypt is built on ancient Egypt. And so the legacy that remains hidden is immense.”
Nefertiti ruled during the 18th dynasty of Egypt and lived between about 1370 and 1330 BC. A time when Egypt was at its most powerful and prosperous. However, the rule of her and her husband Amenhotep IV, who later called himself Akhenaten, led to a period of unrest and decline. The couple turned from traditional polytheism and established a monotheistic cult around the solar disc. In the 19th century people wanted to see in it a foreshadowing of the Jewish religion and Christianity. The court was moved to a new capital outside of Thebes. But the new cult brought their rule into opposition to the priestly caste and the common people. It is believed that the couple were effectively sidelined and later ruled only their new city of Akhetaten. After the death of her husband and before Tutankhamun was appointed pharaoh, Nefertiti is said to have reigned there alone for a short time.
Nefertiti died in 1331 BC. and was to be buried alongside her husband in the royal tomb of Akhenaten. But neither body was found there. The mummies were later relocated for their own protection. There has always been speculation that she was buried in a large secret chamber behind a hidden door in the tomb of her stepson Tutankhamun. But this mysterious room was never found. Nefertiti was co-regent and bore the title “Great Royal Wife” – she is therefore one of the three most powerful women in ancient Egypt along with Tete and Nefertari. Cleopatra belongs to a later era. Neferati was also called “the woman from whom the sun shines” by her husband Ramses II. However, her reign together with Ramses II was far more important than the period of Akhenaten and the beautiful Nefertiti.
