Ramses II. Family of Ramesses II

Then do not ignore the no less curious Valley of the Queens. Do you want to hear a fascinating story about the mysterious queen of Egypt, Nefertari? Do you dream of touching such an ancient history that is breathtaking? Replenish your impressions of this amazing country with another amazing adventure - a journey to the divine Nefertari!

The Egyptian Valley of the Queens is located very close to the Valley of the Kings, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite ancient Thebes, now Luxor. In it, archaeologists unearthed about 80 burials of children and wives of Egyptian pharaohs, as well as nobility, barbarously destroyed and burned. Some of them have been converted into cattle stalls.

Nefertari's tomb was discovered in 1904. It took scientists almost 90 years to study its hieroglyphs, and only in 1995 were visitors allowed in. It is visited by no more than 150 people a day: mass visits can disrupt the microclimate inside and damage the unique decoration of its walls.

Scientists call the date of foundation of these tombs the period from 1550 to 1070 BC. Compared to the Valley of the Kings, this valley is not so closed; you can get into it through a gorge with commemorative steles in honor of the conquests of Pharaoh Ramses III. Around you can see rock prayer appeals to the gods of Egypt - Anubis and Osiris.

A particularly impressive tomb is the burial of Queen Nefertari, the first wife of Ramses the Great. The colorful polychrome frescoes decorating the rich tomb are perfectly preserved here.

The drawings in the tomb of Nefertari are still considered one of the main and most informative sources on the history of Ancient Egypt.

Nefertari Merenmut in translation means the most beautiful beloved Mut. She was the most powerful queen from the first days of the reign of Ramses II.

The origin of Nefertari is still a mystery to scientists, but for a long time she has been called an extremely noble lady, a descendant of the court nobility. Scientists suggest that she came from the Aye family, to which one of the last pharaohs of the eighteenth dynasty belonged. Most likely, her family ties with this clan were hidden, as he could compromise Nefertari.

A lot of images and monuments of Egypt are connected with the queen. She was depicted for a long time near the huge statues of her husband, she was also with him on the pylon in Thebes (Luxor), where the inscriptions are dated the third year after Ramesses ascended the throne.

On ancient Egyptian reliefs, the pharaoh's wife was depicted next to him, while her height barely reached the pharaoh's knee. But in the temple of Ibshek, the facade is decorated with huge statues of Nefertari, the same height as the statues of the pharaoh, which indicates the exceptional position of Nefertari in the state.

The extraordinary beauty of the statue of Nefertari has been preserved and installed in Brussels, it stands next to the statue of Ramesses, brought from the Turin Museum. Also, the majestic temple of Ibshek, located to the north of the burial place of Pharaoh Ramses himself, was erected in honor of Nefertari. Its facade is framed by the colossi of Ramesses and Nefertari, the latter depicted in the guise of the goddess Hathor.

All the interior decoration of the sanctuary indicates the presence in it of the image of Nefertari along with her husband. Not a single Egyptian queen was so glorified and revered, except for Nefertari and the wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep the Third Teye. La Teie also erected a beautiful temple, where he also depicted his beloved in the form of Hathor.

Hathor is the goddess of Egypt, guarding love and the birth of children, and she is also the goddess of dance, music, joy and fun. She was revered as a guide to the afterlife, she patronized women and was considered the creator of the whole world. Hathor was always depicted with the head of a cow, or simply with cow horns holding a solar disk.

In view of the fact that we had a discussion on the forum of the Association about the wives of Ramses the Great, and the journal’s platform is much more convenient for posting old materials, I bring to your attention my old article, which was written based on my speech at one of the conferences of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences dedicated to the anniversary of M .E. Mathieu and M.A. Korostovtseva...

Nefertari. Fragment of a painted relief in the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens. XIX dynasty. (c) photo - SCA

Dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of M. E. Mathieu ...

The works of Milica Edvinovna Mathieu, an outstanding Russian orientalist, devoted to the mythology and art of ancient Egypt, have one amazing and rare feature: despite the decades that have passed since their publication, they remain a truly fount of useful and original information both for Egyptologists and for everyone interested in the past of the Nile Valley. In his fundamental art history works, which have not been surpassed in Russian Egyptology to date, M.E. Mathieu, a true historian by vocation, at the same time laid the foundations for a deep historical analysis of the heritage of ancient Egyptian civilization, coupled with source study. Thanks to this attention not only to written, but also to pictorial sources, M.E. Mathieu sometimes expressed innovative assumptions in many respects, which over time were confirmed by more and more archaeological finds and research by specialists. In this regard, it did not become an exception for the interests of M.E. Mathieu and the ancient Egyptian civilization of the second half of the New Kingdom. In her works “The Art of Thebes and Memphis of the XIX Ancient Egyptian Dynasty” [i] and “The Art of Ancient Egypt”, for the first time in Russian historiography, she hypothesized the need to consider the entire life of Egypt during the Ramesside era through the prism of contacts, interaction and primordial confrontation between the two largest political, religious and cultural centers of the country - Memphis and Thebes. It is in this vein that in this article I would like to compare the biographies of two prominent women of the court of Ramses II - the “great royal consorts” Nefertari and Isitnofret.

The first legal wife of the young Ramesses II was the famous beauty Nefertari “beloved Mut”, who was considered the queen, as evidenced by the inscription in the tomb of the priest Amon Nebunenef, already in the first year of her husband’s independent reign. Surprisingly, almost nothing is known about the origin of the queen. Some early authors believed that Nefertari was the sister of Ramesses II [v] , but this hypothesis is absolutely not supported by the sources. The queen's title lacks any indication that she was the king's daughter; the title rt pat testified only that she belonged to the circle of the highest court nobility and, apparently, came from a family well known to representatives of the royal house. History knows only two women of the house of Ramses II, who bore the title of “sister of the king” - this is Tia, whose husband, also Tia, was the caretaker of the Ramesseum, and Khenutmira, depicted at the feet of the colossus of Ramses' mother, Queen Tuya from the collection of the museum in the Vatican.

A large number of monuments associated with Queen Nefertari have been preserved. She appears next to the king on the reverse side of the pylon in Luxor next to an inscription dated to the third year of the reign of Ramesses; the queen was permanently depicted next to her husband's colossi until she was replaced in this capacity by the princesses, who after her death became queens - Bentanat and Meritamon. [x] Magnificent in decoration, but very badly damaged statue of Nefertari is kept in Brussels. She is shown standing next to the famous sculpture of Ramesses from the Turin Museum. Presumably, Nefertari is also depicted by the famous statue of the “unknown” queen from the Berlin Museum. Finally, the grand temple of Ibshek was dedicated to Nefertari at Abu Simbel in Nubia, north of the sanctuary of Ramesses II himself. The facade of the sanctuary is decorated on both sides of the entrance with paired colossal figures of Ramesses, between which stand the colossi of Nefertari herself in the form of the goddess Hathor.

In the interior of the sanctuary, the queen is given as much attention as her husband. An Egyptian queen was honored with such an honor only once: the pharaoh of the XVIII dynasty Amenhotep III erected a temple in Sedeing for his famous wife Teye, where she was revered, like Nefertari, as the goddess Hathor.

After the conclusion of a peace treaty between Egypt and the Hittite state in 1259 BC. (21st year of Ramses II), apparently actively participating in the political life of the country, Nefertari established a friendly correspondence with the Hittite queen Puduhepa.

In the 24th year of the reign of Ramesses II, the construction of the grandiose temples at Abu Simbel was completed. To consecrate the complex and establish cults of deities, the royal fleet sailed from Thebes to Nubia. Ramesses and Nefertari were accompanied by the princess Meritamon and the “royal son of Kush” Hekanakht. This event is narrated by the stele of Hekanakht, carved in the rocks next to the temples. The nobleman is depicted offering gifts to the queen sitting on the throne. This was the last event associated with the name of the beautiful Nefertari, who died early.

In 1904, Ernesto Schiaparelli made his greatest discovery, discovering the famous tomb of Nefertari, carved into the rocks of the Valley of the Queens and being the most beautiful monument of this necropolis; its murals, covering an area of 520 m2, are rightfully considered one of the best works of art of the entire era of the New Kingdom. Alas, the tomb was robbed in antiquity, and what little remains for archaeologists - a broken granite sarcophagus lid, reed sandals, a fragment of a gold bracelet and several amulets - is currently stored in the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Turin. Despite the paucity of the discovered material, one, at first glance, completely unremarkable find caused endless discussions and hypotheses: a limestone “button” covered with faience glaze for sealing a casket or chest, found in the burial chamber of the tomb, bore the name Aye. The penultimate king of the 18th Dynasty, Aye was associated throughout his life and career with the legacy of the Amarna religious reform and the family of Pharaoh Akhenaten. His wife, Teye, was the nurse, and probably the mother of Queen Nefertiti, while the second (?) daughter, Mutnodzhemet, had the status of a court lady and “sister of the royal wife” under Akhenaten, and, in addition, later became the wife of the last king dynasty - Horemheb.

Ushabti of Queen Nefertari found in her tomb by E. Schiaparelli. Wood, resin, paint. Turin, Egyptian Museum. (c) my photo, 2004

Of course, such a monument could not have been included in the grave goods of the queen’s tomb by chance, and most likely proves the fact that the late king was her relative, although, of course, this is nothing more than another hypothesis. In any case, according to age characteristics, Nefertari could not be the daughter of Aye - Horemheb, who inherited the throne after him, ruled for twenty-six years. If we add to these years the years of the reign of Ramesses I and Seti I, it becomes clear that the queen could at best be only the granddaughter of Eye. Although such a claim can only be definitively proved or refuted only if new archaeological sites are found, a compromising kinship with the family of the “enemy from Akhetaten,” as the heretic pharaoh was called under the Ramesses, could explain why the queen so carefully avoided in the inscriptions mentions of their parents.

If we assume that Nefertari could be Aye's granddaughter, then the question involuntarily arises as to which of the latter's children she could be the daughter of. In view of the fact that the question of Aye's children is still open, let us recall that in addition to daughters - Nefertiti (?) and Mutnodzhemet, Aye could also have a son. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo has two monuments - fragments of the famous broken sculptural group of the commander Nakhtmin and his wife, as well as a well-preserved statue of a not so high artistic level depicting the same nobleman. Nakhtmin's mother, Yuya, was a "worshiper of Ming" and a "singer of Isis" in the temples of Akhmim. A military of the highest rank already during the reign of Tutankhamun, connected by name and relatives with the city of Akhmim, Nakhtmin, referred to in the texts as “the son of the king from his flesh”, was, apparently, the son of Eye, who, for some reason unknown to us, failed to take the throne after the death of his father. It can be assumed that the queen could be the granddaughter of Eye, the daughter of a high-ranking military leader Nakhtmin, given the close attachment to the city of Mina and Isis of the daughters of Nefertari, especially the eldest, Princess Meritamon, whose magnificent seven-meter colossus was discovered in 1981 in Akhmim by Egyptian archaeologists . Considering all the above facts, as well as the fact that monuments with the name of Nefertari are found mainly in Upper Egypt, it can be said with confidence that the queen's roots went back to the noble families of the nobility of the capital and major nearby religious centers of the country. There is nothing surprising in the fact that Ramesses II made his main wife not a princess, but just a noble lady: his mother, Queen Tuya, deified during her lifetime as the hypostasis of the goddess Mut, did not come from the royal family. The parents of the great wife of Seti I are well known: the military leader Raya and his wife Ruya occupied fairly high positions at the court. Such a tradition, perhaps, can be explained by the fact that the first pharaohs of the Ramessides emphasized their non-royal origin in every possible way, as if proud of the absence of close relatives with dubious Amarna origin and<вычеркнув>Amarna kings from the Abydos king list - a list of their royal ancestors. In this situation, Queen Nefertari was an exception to such a demonstrative rule, which only once again explains the reason for her forced silence. Let us recall one more interesting fact: in the era of the destruction of everything that in one way or another could be connected with Akhenaten and his successors, Ramses II respectfully kept the texts mentioning Aye at the entrance to the second courtyard of the Luxor Temple. Was it inattention, a malicious omission, or a secret tribute to a relative of his beloved wife?

Queen Isetnofret shaking the sisters in front of Taurt, Thoth and Nut. Drawing of a stele from Gebel el-Silsile. LD, Abt III, Band 7, Bl. 175.

The second great royal wife of Ramses II was Isitnofret, who became the wife of Ramses II almost simultaneously with Nefertari, however, was in the shadows until the death of the latter. And again we are faced with the fact that we know nothing about its origin. Among her titles, like Nefertari, there is no epithet “daughter of the king” - the blood of the pharaohs did not flow in her veins. Due to the fact that her eldest daughter Bentanat bore a Syrian name, many experts assumed that Isitnofret was not an Egyptian; however, this hypothesis is too doubtful. Interestingly, the Bentanat ushebti were found by J. Martin's expedition to Saqqara, in a tomb that had been prepared for Horemheb when he was still only a nobleman. It is well known that Bentanat was buried in Thebes; her tomb, unfortunately badly damaged by fire, was discovered in the Valley of the Queens. How then to explain the presence of her grave goods in the tomb of a man whom fate made pharaoh at the junction of two colossal dynasties? Was there any relationship between Horemheb and Bentanath's mother, Queen Isitnofret?

Isetnofret, Khaemwas and Bentanat, together with Ramesses II before Ptah and Nefertum. Drawing of a stele from Gebel el-Silsile. LD, Abt III, Band 7, Bl 174.

Horemheb himself came from the city of Heracleopolis, his parents are unknown. Having ascended the throne, he ordered to carve a rock sanctuary dedicated to Hapi, the deity of the flood, in the granite rocks of Gebel el-Silsile. Inside, many relief decoration additions made under the Ramessides have been preserved. If the image of Nefertari is completely absent here, then Isitnofret, on the contrary, is depicted repeatedly with her husband. Whether this was a deliberate emphasis on family relations is extremely difficult to say today. In any case, this place is one of two places in the south of the country where Isitnofret is present, all the main monuments of which are connected with the north of Egypt.

Isetnofret and Khaemwas together with Ramesses II in front of Khnum. Drawing of a stele from Gebel el-Silsile. LD, Abt III, Band 7, Bl. 175.

Isitnofret is shown together with Ramesses II on a stele from Aswan, erected in this place in honor of the second celebration of Ramesses' sed ceremony, in the 33-34th year of his reign. On this monument, as, indeed, on almost all others where her name occurs, she was depicted, apparently thanks to the efforts of her famous son, Khaemuas, who held the post of high priest of the god Ptah in Memphis. Ramses himself paid surprisingly little attention to her. Remarkable sculptural images of Queen Isitnofret are known - the lower part of a quartzite statue of excellent finish with a relief figure of Prince Haemuas on the side (E 7500) and a sandstone bust (E 5924) - are stored in the Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels. However, she was not honored to be depicted at the colossi of her husband.

Approximately in the 34th year of the reign, the wife of Isitnofret died. The queen's tomb has not been identified. The well-known assumption that Isitnofret could be buried in the shaft of one of the unfinished tombs of the Valley of the Queens seems completely untenable, especially if we take into account the care with which the masters completed the tombs of the queens Tuya and Nefertari, as well as the tombs of all the princesses of the house of Ramesses. Could Queen Isitnofret be buried outside the Valley of the Queens? At first glance, such a fact would be an absolute exception to the rule, since almost all the other spouses and daughters of Ramses II found their last earthly refuge in this necropolis, which in ancient times was called the “Place of Beauty”. However, if we turn to the subsequent history of the XIX dynasty, it turns out that there were still some exceptions, although related to later queens. All of them are associated with the burial of queens in the neighborhood - in the Valley of the Kings. Firstly, this is Tahat, the wife of Seti II and the mother of Amenmeses, as well as the wife of the latter - Queen Baketvernre, for whom the decoration of KV10 - the tomb of Amenmeses was partially changed; secondly, the wife of Seti II, Queen Tausert, who seized the throne after the death of her husband's heirs (KV 14).

The text of one of the ostraca of the Cairo Museum (JE 72460), discovered by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings, mentions the tomb of a certain Isitnofret and one of the sons of Ramesses, Meriatum, the construction of the tombs for which was completed by Theban masters. The text even contains an indication of the distance at which the tombs were from each other - 104.6 m. It should be noted that the tomb of Prince Meriatum, in which he was buried along with several of his brothers, was found, and not just anywhere, but in the Valley of the Kings. There is only one conclusion: either the tomb of the great queen has not yet been found in the Valley of the Kings, or we are talking about another, second Isitnofret - the daughter or even granddaughter of Ramses II, for some reason buried in one of the unfinished tombs of the necropolis; The latter hypothesis is supported by the fact that in the text of the ostracon before the name Isitnofret there are no titles, which would hardly be acceptable in relation to the “great royal wife”. In addition, as K. Leblanc rightly notes, by the 20th century, the entire landscape of the Valley of the Kings had changed so much since the reign of the Ramessides as a result of constant digging that there is no need to talk about any search for a hypothetical tomb using ancient indications today.

When analyzing the monuments associated with the name of the second wife of Ramesses the Great, a strange absence of inscriptions mentioning her in Thebes in general is striking; she was never mentioned in the texts of Karnak, Luxor or Ramesseum. Her name appears only once in the texts of the mortuary temple of her son, Merneptah.

On the contrary, in the Memphis region, monuments associated with the queen are quite numerous. In Saqqara, in the Serapeum sector, the expedition of Ibrahim Ali in 1986 revealed blocks of a structure erected here in honor of the queen by her son Khaemuas; on these blocks, not only the titles and the name of the queen, but also her images were preserved. We also note that on several reliefs from this sanctuary, next to the Nile spirits of the fifth and seventh nomes of Lower Egypt, where the name of the king should have been written in the cartouche, there is the name of Isitnofret; in addition, there is no mention of the south of the country here. Isn’t it from here that a small sculptural group, sold in 1842 to the Louvre by N. L’Aute, comes from, the text of which confirms the queen’s primordial connections with the Memphis necropolis in the best possible way? In this sculptural group, Isitnofret is depicted together with her sons - “the royal scribe, military leader, the royal son Ramesses, right-handed” and “the royal son, the priest of this Ptah, Khaemuas, right-handed”. The inscription, typical for funeral texts, is a prayer of the king for his wife, so that she would receive the right to a worthy stay in the other world:

“The sacrifice that the king gives to Sokar-Osiris, the lord of Ankhtaui in the rest of the land of the beautiful West in Khut-Ka-henem-netcheru, which hides the body prostrate by the time of life, uniting it for eternity. May you live like Sirius, O great royal wife, Isitnofret! May you rise to the heavens of the stars! May you reunite with Orion in this place! May you go out in the form of a single star between the thighs of Nut, O Osiris-Isitnofret, living like one who found protection in Busiris!

The essence of this text is beyond doubt: this is an appeal to the deceased Isitnofret, who, through royal prayer, is provided with immortality and otherworldly existence in the guise of Isis-Sirius, whose appearance in heaven heralded a new flood of the Nile and, accordingly, a general rebirth. This beautiful image once again emphasizes the equality in status between Isitnofret and Nefertari: it was in the guise of Sirius that the latter was depicted on the wall of the small temple in Abu Simbel.

The mention of Sokar-Osiris, the lord of Ankhtawi, the famous district of Memphis, since ancient times associated with Ro-Setau, the paths leading to the other world, not only once again indicates the connection of the queen with Memphis, but also that, perhaps, her tomb is still lies untouched, or at least unknown to archaeologists, under the sands of one of the Memphis necropolises. This assumption is also confirmed by the fact that it was in the Memphis region that steatite, glazed ushebti with titles and the name of the “disappeared” queen, as well as two fragments of a gold necklace with the names of Ramses II and the “great royal wife” Isitnofret were found.

The factual material that I was able to cite in this short article, of course, does not claim to be complete and, alas, contains many more questions than answers. But still, even these, so fragmentary sources, contain indications, if not of the origin and family ties of the two great queens of antiquity, then at least of those areas of Egypt to which they gravitated. And if Nefertari belonged to the tribal priestly nobility of the south of Egypt, and Isitnofret belonged to the military elite of the north, then were these simultaneous marriages for Ramesses II another attempt to “unite” the country, which already a few decades after his death was on the verge of political crisis and split into two warring camps? The answer to this question can be given only with the continuation of archaeological work in Saqqara, the ancient necropolis of Memphis, and the famous Valley of the Queens in Thebes.

[i] Proceedings of the GE II. - L., 1958. - S.27-41.

Mathieu M.E. Art of ancient Egypt. - M.-L., 1961. - S. 425-480.

Later, this assumption by M.E. Mathieu was supported by many domestic Egyptologists. For an example, see Stuchevsky I.A. Ramesses II and Herihor. From the history of Egypt in the era of the Ramessides. - M., 1984. - S. 36; Perepelkin Yu.Ya. Ancient Egypt.// History of the Ancient East. The origin of the oldest class societies and the first centers of slave-owning civilization. Part II. - M., 1988. - S. 563.

Solkin V.V. Sun of the Rulers. Ancient Egyptian civilization of the Ramesside era. - M., 2000. - P.85.

[v] Budge W. A History of Egypt. Vol. V. - London, 1902. - P.69; Gauthier H. Le Livre des Rois d'Egypte. Vol. III. - Le Caire, 1914. - P. 75-77.

Troy L. Patterns of Quenship in Ancient Egyptian Myth and History. - Uppsala, 1986. - P. 169 (19.5).

Martin G.T. The Hidden Tombs of Memphis. - London, 1992. - PP. 101-115.

Leblanc Ch. Nefertari, "L'aimée-de-Mout". Epouses, filles et fils de Ramses II. - Paris, 1999. - P. 246.

Schmidt H., Willeitner J. Nefertari. Gemahlin Ramses II. – Mainz, 1994. – Abb.1.

[x] For example, the colossi at Luxor: PM II, 304 (7), 311-312 (59) (61) (62) (67); 313(70)(71); KRI II, 629-633; colossi at Karnak: PM II, 187 (582) (583); KRI II, 589-590.

Schmidt, Willeitner, 1994. - S. 21.

Ibid., s. 47.

Museumsinsel Berlin. Ägyptisches museum. - Mainz, 1991. - S. 146-147, No. 88; Schmidt and Willeitner 1994, s. 46.

Desroches Noblecourt Ch., Kuentz Ch., Le Petit Temple d'Abou Simbel. CEDAE, - Le Caire, 1968. 2 Vol.

Amenophis III: le Pharaon-Soleil. - Paris, 1993. - PP. 89-90.

Schmidt and Willeitner 1994, s. 63.

Ibid., s. 50, Abb.63, 65.

After the restoration, the tomb of Nefertari became the subject of numerous studies and publications: Siliotti A., Leblanc Ch., Nefertari e la Valle delle Regine. – Firenze, 1993; Schiaparelli E., Relazione sui lavori della Missione Archaeologica Italiana in Egitto, anni 1903-1920, Vol. I: Esplorazione della "Valle delle Regine" nella necropoli di Tebe. – Torino, 1924; Thausing G., Goedicke H., Nofretari. – Graz, 1971; Dondelinger E., Der Jenseitsweg der Nofretari. Bilder aus dem Grab einer ägyptischen Konigin. – Graz, 1973; La reconstitution photographique de la tombe de Nofretari.// Ramsés le Grand. catalogue. Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais. – Paris, 1976, pp. 207-221; Mc Donald J. House of Eternity: the Tomb of Nefertari. - London, 1996. Solkin V.V., 2000. - P.88-92.

Schmidt H., Willeitner J. Nefertari. Gemahlin Ramses II. – Mainz, 1994. – S.12.

Saleh M., Sourouzian H., The Egyptian Museum Cairo. The Official Catalogue. - Mainz, 1987. No. 195.

Leblanc Ch., Nefertari "L'aimée-de-Mout". Epouses, filles et fils de Ramses II. – Paris, 1999. – P. 25.

Ibid., p. 25-27.

Yahia El-Masry, Seven Seasons of Excavations in Akhmim.// Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 82. Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress of Egyptologists. (Cambridge). – Leuven, 1998. – PP. 759-765; Freed R. Ramesses the Great. - Memphis, 1987. - P.28.

In this context, it is worth recalling the fact that the nobles of Thebes and Akhmim had long been in family relations; Let us recall at least the fact that it was from this city that Iuya and Tuya, the parents of the famous wife of Amenhotep III, Queen Teye, came from.

Sourouzian H., Les Monuments du roi Merenptah. - Mainz, 1989. - P. 2-6.

Martin, 1992, p. 82.

QV71. See Groff W., La fille de Pharaon. - Le Caire, 1896. - PP. 306-309, 312-23; Desroches Noblecourt Ch., Abou-Simbel, Ramsis, et les dames de la Couronne.// Fragments of a Shattered Visage, Monographs of the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archeology, I (1991). - Memphis, 1993. - PP. 134-140.

Leblanc, 1999, p.142.

Schmidt and Willeitner 1994, s. 27, 60.

Ibid., s. 28-29.

Ibid., s. 27-29.

Krauss R. Untersuchungen zu König Amenmesse // SAK 5 (1977), s. 137-140.

Altenmüller H. Bemerkungen zu den neu gefundenen Daten im Grab der Königin Twosre (KV 14) im Tal der Könige von Theben.// After Tut’ankhamun. Research and Excavation in the Royal Necropolis at Thebes. - London, 1992. - PP. 141-164.

Leblanc, 1999, p. 86.

Weeks K., Les mystires de la tombe N 5. // Le Monde de la Bible, N 102 (1997), pp. 51-52.

Several Ramesside princesses are known to have had this name. Thus, Isitnofret (II), the daughter of Ramesses II, is present in the processions of the princesses of Abydos and Luxor, and is also depicted in Abu Simbel; she became the wife of her brother Merneptah. It is to her that Kh. Suruzyan ascribes the mention in the ostraca, which, however, is very doubtful. The mummy of another Isitnofret, also a royal daughter, found in Akhmim, was identified by G. Maspero and is currently kept in Spain (see Llagostera E. The Mummy of a Daughter of Ramesses II in Madrid. // Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 82. Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress of Egyptologists (Cambridge), Leuven, 1998, pp. 691-696). Princess Isitnofret (III), daughter of Khaemwas, is depicted on one of the statues of the prince found in the Medinet Maadi area and kept in the Sforzo castle in Milan. See Gomaa F. Chaemwese, Sohn Ramses' II und Hoherpriester von Memphis. – Wiesbaden, 1973, s. 85. Most likely, the author of the text of the Cairo ostracon JE 72460 meant her. For this princess, see also Solkin, 2000, p. 95-96.

Nevertheless, the very fact of mentioning the tomb of Isitnofret in the text of the ostracon caused a very lively discussion in the literature: Ierne J. A Community of Workmen at Thebes in the Ramesside Period. – Cairo, 1973. – P. 82; Desroches Noblecourt, 1993, p. 132.

Leblanc Ch., 1999, p. 172.

Ibrahim Aly M. A propos du prince Khвemouaset et de sa mire Isetneferet. Noveaux documents provenant du Sérapüum. // MDAIK 49, 1993, p. 100-105.

Louvre E.2272. Leblanc Ch. Isis-Nofret, sa famille et Nefertari. // BIFAO 93 (1993), pp. 314-316.

The abode of Ka connecting with the gods is another toponym denoting part of the Memphis necropolis. See Gauthier H. Dictionnaire des noms géographiques contenus dans les textes héroglyphiques. Vol. IV. - Le Caire, 1928. - P. 139.

Pierret P. Recueil d'inscriptions inédites du musée du Louvre. Vol. II. - Paris, 1878. - P. 84.

Desroches Noblecourt Ch. Ramses II: la viritable histoire. - Paris, 1996. - P.279.

Leblanc, 1999, p. 246.

Ibid., p. 173.

Cit. by: Solkin V.V. Nefertari and Isitnofret: "the great royal spouses" and the internal policy of Ramesses II // "Interaction of world civilizations: history and modernity". Proceedings of the conference of the Department of General History of RUDN University. Moscow, 2001, pp. 137–144.

Nefertari Meri-en-mut (Nefertari means "Beautiful Companion" and Maritenmut - "Beloved of the Goddess Mut") - the first wife of Ramses II, who was considered the main queen already in the first year of the pharaoh's independent reign.

Nefertari Meritenmut

Almost nothing is known about the origin of the queen; nevertheless, she is referred to as a "noble lady" or "hereditary nobility", that is, a very noble lady, who by birth belonged to one of the court families. Judging by some data, she belonged to the family of Eye, the penultimate pharaoh of the 18th dynasty; this fact, apparently, was hidden, since family ties with the inner circle of the pharaoh-reformer Akhenaten could compromise the queen.

After the conclusion of a peace treaty between Egypt and the Hittite state in 1269 BC. e. (21st year of Ramses II), apparently actively participating in the political life of the country, Nefertari established a friendly correspondence with the Hittite queen Puduhepa.

A large number of monuments associated with Queen Nefertari have been preserved:

* She appears next to the king on the reverse side of the pylon in Luxor next to an inscription dated to the third year of the reign of Ramesses; the queen was permanently depicted next to her husband's colossi until she was replaced in this capacity by the princesses, who after her death became queens - Bent-Anat and Merit-Amon.
* Magnificent in decoration, but very badly damaged statue of Nefertari is kept in Brussels.
* She is shown standing next to the famous sculpture of Ramesses from the Turin Museum.
* Presumably, Nefertari is also depicted by the famous statue of the "unknown" queen from the Berlin Museum.
* Finally, the grand temple of Ibshek was dedicated to Nefertari at Abu Simbel in Nubia, north of the sanctuary of Ramesses II himself. The facade of the sanctuary is decorated on both sides of the entrance with paired colossal figures of Ramesses, between which stand the colossi of Nefertari herself in the form of the goddess Hathor. In the interior of the sanctuary, the queen is given as much attention as her husband. An Egyptian queen was honored with such an honor only once: the pharaoh of the XVIII dynasty Amenhotep III erected a temple in Sedeing for his famous wife Teye, where she was revered, like Nefertari, as the goddess Hathor.

Tomb of Nefertari
Image of Nefertari from the temple dedicated to her in Abu Simbel.

In 1904, Ernesto Schiaparelli made his greatest discovery, discovering the famous tomb of Nefertari, carved into the rocks of the Valley of the Queens (QV66), which is the most beautiful monument of this necropolis; its painted reliefs, covering an area of 520 m2, are rightfully considered one of the best works of art of the entire era of the New Kingdom.

Ernesto Schiaparelli.

Alas, the tomb was robbed in antiquity, and the little that remains for archaeologists - a broken granite sarcophagus lid, reed sandals, a fragment of a gold bracelet and several amulets - is currently stored in the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Turin. Covered with unfading colors, the reliefs of the tomb illustrate some chapters of the book "The Sayings of Exit to the Day" ("Books of the Dead") and show the path of the queen, led by the gods to the afterlife for the judgment of Osiris.

Eighteen steps lead from the entrance carved into the rocks to the inner chambers of the tomb. The portico of the door in front of the first chamber is badly damaged, but the queen's titles are still read on its right side:
"Hereditary nobility, Great in grace, beauty, sweetness and love, Lady of Upper and Lower Egypt, reposed, Lady of the Two Lands, Nefertari, Beloved Mut, Right-voiced before Osiris."

Nefertari plays senet

The first chamber of the tomb "C" (5x5.2 m) is equipped with a table carved into the wall for offerings. Its walls are covered with images - fragments of the 17th chapter of the Book of the Dead. The queen is represented in three incarnations: playing senet, in the form of the soul of Ba, and, finally, worshiping Aker, the lion-headed god of the earth, who is at the same time the horizon - a symbol of the rebirth of the solar deity.

Benu and the goddess Nephthys.

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She is depicted as entering the room, and the faces of the gods, the "lords of the Duat", the true inhabitants of this place, are shown facing the exit and the queen walking towards them.
Nefertari is dressed in magnificent snow-white clothes made of linen, which Egypt was so famous for in ancient times; they are tied under the chest with a red belt in the form of an amulet tet - the knot of Isis. On the shoulders of Nefertari is a rich necklace of usekh. On the queen's head is a Shuti ceremonial dress, consisting of a dark blue wig decorated with the golden wings of the kite of the goddess Mut, a stand, a golden solar disk and two ostrich feathers.

Plan of the tomb of Nefertari.

The passage from the first chamber leads to an additional room on this level. Passage "D" is flanked on both sides by the standing figures of Osiris and Anubis; above the door there is a frieze consisting of uraeus, ostrich feathers, symbols of the goddess Maat, and a human figure in the center, based on the already mentioned syncretic shen-ujat amulets. On the sides of the passage are depicted two goddesses - Neith and Selket, giving Nefertari "protection, life, steadfastness, power, all protection, like Ra, forever." The goddesses utter magic spells and sayings to protect the queen:
“It is said by Selket, Lady of Heaven, Lady of all gods. I walk before you, oh (...) Nefertari (...), Right-voiced before Osiris, who is in Abydos; I gave you a stay in the sacred land (Ta-Jesert), so that you could appear victoriously in heaven like Ra.

Camera "E"

Further, the passage widens ("E"); the pilasters formed during the expansion are decorated with images of the anthropomorphic djed pillar - the symbol of Osiris, a sign of inviolability and constancy. On the left side of the passage, the goddess Isis, wearing a necklace of menat, leads the queen by the hand to the god of the morning sun, Khepri, who has a head in the form of a scarab;

Isis leading Nefertari to Khepri.

On the right, Horus, the son of Isis, leads the deceased to the thrones of Ra-Horakhta and Hathor, the mistress of the Theban necropolis. Between the thrones of Khepri and Hathor is the door to the side chamber (“G”). The kite goddess Nekhbet, the patroness of Upper Egypt, hovers above the door, clutching the symbols of eternity shen in her hands.

Horus, son of Isis, leading Nefertari to Ra-Horakhta and Hathor Imentet.

Osiris and Atum.

The scene of the sacrifice to Atum.

Two great deities - the personification of immortality and the creator of the universe are united here in an almost symmetrical composition. The next scene, illustrating chapter 148 of the Book of the Dead, occupies the entire south wall of the chamber. Framed by the sign of heaven and the uas scepters, seven cows and a bull are depicted in two registers, in front of each of which is a small altar with offerings. All animals "walk" towards the queen, standing in the pose of adoration.

Nefertari in the pose of adoration in front of the sacred bull and cows.

The text of chapter 148 speaks of the purpose of these seven cows to supply the spirit of the deceased with milk and bread. Steering oars are also mentioned here, which help the deceased to swim among the stars. None of the queen's enemies will recognize her thanks to these "named" oars and the god Ra - the steering boat.

Sacred cows, bull and oars.

Near the figure of the queen is one of the most famous scenes of the tomb: a deity in the form of a mummy with the head of a ram, crowned with a solar disk, stands on a small podium; on both sides it is supported by Nephthys and Isis. Each wears a long-ended white afnet wig tied with red ribbons. Between the figures of the goddesses and the ram-headed deity are two columns of text "This is Osiris resting in Ra" and "This is Ra resting in Osiris".

Ra and Osiris as the eternal deity.

The scene is of the highest quality and is very important from the theological point of view, illustrating, as already mentioned, the central idea of the Egyptian funeral texts - the union of Ra and Osiris in the form of a single eternal deity.
A descending passage leads from chamber "C" to the lower level of the chambers of the tomb. On both sides of the passage door, on the paired pillars of the djed, cartouches of the queen are depicted, accompanied by the goddesses Wadjet and Nekhbet in the form of snakes with the heraldic attributes of Lower and Upper Egypt, respectively. The staircase itself is 7.5 meters long. The images of each wall are divided into two triangular registers. The upper left register shows the offering of the sacred Nemset vessels by the queen to the goddesses Hathor, Selket and the winged Maat.

Nefertari before Hathor and Selket.

On a similar scene in the right register, there are Isis, Nephthys, and a symmetrically located Maat, between the wings of which a shen is shown - a symbol of eternity and the name of the queen in a cartouche, the shape of which, as is known, originated from this sign. On the “shelves” formed in the rock at both doors of the corridor there are images of two anthropomorphic symbols of Osiris djed (upper level of the stairs) and the goddesses Neith and Selket (lower level of the stairs). Djed, as a sign of inviolability, constancy, is in this case a mighty pillar of "heaven" - a dark blue ceiling covered with golden stars of the night sky. In the lower registers of the walls, the god Anubis in the form of a jackal and Isis and Nephthys kneeling on the signs of the gold of the sky.

Anubis. Painted relief of the staircase wall.

Both hands are laid on the signs of shen. Nearby are voluminous texts-spells, which are unique examples of calligraphy:
“Words spoken by Anubis Imiut, the great god who dwells in the sacred land (Ta-Jesert). I go before you, O great royal wife, mistress of both lands, mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt, Reposed, Nefertari, beloved Mut, right-handed before Osiris, the great god who is in the West. I go before you and I have given you a place in the sacred land, so that you may appear triumphant in heaven, like your father Ra. Put diadems on top of your head. Isis and Nephthys rewarded you and created your beauty, like your father, so that you could appear triumphant in heaven, like Ra, so that you could illuminate Igeret with your rays. The great host of gods on earth has given you a place. Nut, your mother, greets you, just as she greets Ra-Khorakhte. May the souls of Pe and Buto rejoice, just as they rejoiced at your father who is in the West... Approach your mother and sit on the throne of Osiris. May the lords of the sacred land receive you. May your heart rejoice forever, O great royal wife ... Nefertari ... right-handed before Osiris.
The grandiose image of the flying goddess Maat crowns the space above the door leading to the "Golden Peace" - the burial chamber of the tomb "K" (10.4x8.2 m). Low "benches" along the entire perimeter of the room were once intended for grave goods. The walls of the chamber are covered with images illustrating chapters 144 and 146 of the Book of the Dead, and contain a description of the kingdom of Osiris. The queen appears before the guardians of the underworld and correctly names the names of the spirits and the names of the gates of otherworldly regions.

Guardian of the gates of another world.

The top of the walls is decorated with a hecker frieze; countless stars of the night sky cover the ceiling. The recess, which was the place for the sarcophagus, was in the middle of the room, framed by four pillars. The sixteen planes of the pillars preserved the magnificent scenes of Nefertari's presence before the deities - Anubis, Isis, Hathor, the mighty djed pillars, as well as the figures of two priests of the funeral cult - Khor Iunmutef ("Hor-Support-His Mother") and Khor Nejitef ("Hor-Defender -His Father").

Nefertari and Hathor the Theban. Relief on a pillar in a burial chamber.

Incarnations of Horus, son of Isis, priests in leopard skins, present Nefertari to Osiris:
“Words spoken by Khor Iunmutef. I am your beloved son, my father Osiris. I have come to honor you. Forever I have cast down your enemies for you. May you allow the daughter of your beloved, the great wife of the king ... Nefertari, beloved Mut, right-handed, to remain in the host of great deities, those that accompany Osiris .. ".
Osiris, the king of the host of gods, is depicted on two planes of pillars facing towards the entrance to the chamber. In both scenes, he stands on a small plinth inside a yellow naos. On his head is an atef crown, in his hands is a heket scepter and a nehehu whip. On the shoulders of the great god, a necklace is used, he is tied with a red belt, the symbol of his wife Isis. Inside the naos next to Osiris are the emblems of Anubis Imiut, consisting of a wooden stand and a leopard skin.

Burial chamber. Hor Yunmutef and Hor Nejitef before Osiris.

Osiris on one of the pillars.

Osiris, Hathor Imentet, Anubis. Relief of the wall of the burial chamber.

On the walls of the cell "O" there are heavily damaged images of the queen saying prayers before Hathor, Lady of the West. On the right side, Nefertari appears before Isis and Anubis, seated on thrones. Two altars with flowers and bread stand in front of the deities. The central wall is filled with the winged figure of Maat. The surviving fragment of the text on behalf of the goddess speaks of "the creation of a place for the queen in the house of Amon." Perhaps there was a statue of Nefertari here.

The decoration of the "Q" chamber is practically not preserved. The figure of Isis on the southern wall, fragments of the procession of the gods, a djed pillar between two amulets of Isis tet - these are the main images from this room that have come down to our time.
It is known that the masters who created ordinary tools in the light of special, non-smoking oil lamps of the tomb of Ramses II, Nefertari and their children were the “head of work” Neferhotep the Elder, Nebnefer, Neferhotep the Younger, Kakha and his son Inerhau. The scribes Ramose, Kenherkhepeshef, Amenemope and Khevi followed the work.

The tomb of Nefertari was discovered in 1904 by an Italian archaeological expedition led by Ernesto Schiaparelli.

During restoration.

The poor quality of the limestone in which the tomb was carved, as well as salty soil waters, led to the fact that by the 70s of our century, the paintings of the unique monument were in danger of disappearing. The special restoration project "Nefertari" of the Egyptian Antiquities Service and the Paul Getty Conservation Institute, carried out from 1986 to 1992, has become one of the most important works of the 20th century to preserve the heritage of antiquity. Unique restoration methods allowed the tomb to be reopened to visitors in November 1995.

Hands of Nefertari and the goddess. Painted relief of one of the pillars of the burial chamber.

Tomb of Nefertari

Many experts consider the tomb of Nefertari, discovered in 1904, the most beautiful of the Egyptian tombs. Due to serious problems that arose in connection with the preservation of its amazing paintings, the tomb was closed to the public in the 1950s. and opened only in November 1995. Very strict rules regulate access here in order to maintain, as far as possible, a fragile microclimatic balance. Only 150 tickets are allocated daily to visit the tomb. Despite the unprecedented high cost, tickets run out by 10.00 (the cost of a full ticket is 100 LE, a student ticket is 50 LE). You will have vivid impressions of amazing wall paintings with unusually vibrant colors.

Temple of Nefertari at Abu Simbel

Nefertari Mary-en-mut (name meaning "beautiful, beloved Mut") most likely married the great pharaoh Ramesses II before he came to the throne. She had a position quite special and unprecedented in the history of Egypt. Her leading role compared to countless other wives of the pharaohs is confirmed by the fact that she was always in the retinue of Ramesses, not only during civil or religious ceremonies, but even during important trips, for example, to Nubia in the 24th year of his reign (c. . 1255 BC) on the occasion of the grand opening of the small temple of Abu Simbel, dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Nefertari herself: the queen is represented by large statues, the same size as the statues of the pharaoh, an exceptional fact, given that usually the wife was depicted on the side of the pharaoh, barely reaching his knee.

Photo by Sandro Vannini, courtesy De Agostini
Anubis
The jackal-headed Anubis graces another wall inside Queen Nefertiti's tomb. As the god responsible for embalming, Anubis he is pictured welcoming Nefertari into the afterlife.

Nefertari also played a role in foreign policy, as evidenced by the letter she sent to Poduhepa, queen of the Hittites, in which she expressed her sisterly friendship to the "great ruler of Hatti." The origin of Nefertari is still shrouded in mystery. Certain evidence indicates that her family originated from the Theban region; in addition, an ornamented scroll of Pharaoh Aya, depicted on the handle of a box found in her tomb, suggests a close relationship with this king, who was from Akhmim, a city sacred to the god Min and located a little more than 100 km north of Thebes .

Nefertari is depicted offering sistra (ritual rattles)

In the Ramesseum, the imposing mortuary temple of Ramesses II at Thebes, at the top of the second pylon, at a height of more than 10 m, there is an unusual depiction of the Ming festival, in which Nefertari dances before the sacred bull. Was it a tribute to the bride's father, Aya, Tutankhamun's successor? Although she gave birth to Ramses 5 or 6 sons, some of whom, like the most beloved - the first-born Amun-Khi-Benemeth, died in their youth. Fate wanted none of them to ascend the throne. Ramses II's heir was his son (Prince Merneptah) from another royal bride, Queen Isis-Nofret, whose tomb has not yet been discovered and is presumably located in the Saqqara necropolis. The time and cause of Nefertari's death are also unknown to us, but it happened before the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the reign of Ramesses - the commemorative inscription of this and subsequent periods no longer mentions the name of his beloved wife.

General view of the Valley of the Queens
The Valley of the Queens, known in antiquity as the "Valley of the Children of the Pharaoh", is an archaeological area on the western bank of the Nile, next to the Valley of the Kings, on the opposite bank from Luxor (ancient Thebes). In the valley, up to seventy rock-cut tombs of the wives and children of the pharaohs, as well as priests and nobles, were discovered. All burials belong to the 18th, 19th or 20th dynasties (c. 1550-1070 BC). More impressive than others is the tomb of the wife of Ramses the Great, Nefertari, in which an extensive complex of polychrome frescoes has been perfectly preserved.

Valley of the Queens and the sacred grotto of the goddess Hathor.

QUEEN NEFERTARI
Ancient Egypt. XIX dynasty. 13th century BC.
Original: painting from the tomb of Nefertari.
Thebes

Queen Nefertari was the main wife of the famous pharaoh Ramses II. She is depicted in a ceremonial headdress - Shuti, consisting of a dark blue wig, a golden kite of the goddess Mut, the patroness of queens, a golden solar disk and stylized ostrich feathers. The snow-white priestly robe of Nefertari is adorned with a multi-colored ritual usekh necklace. Her name and titles are written next to it. The memory of the wife of Ramesses survived the centuries: in distant Nubia, in the sacred rocks of Abu Simbel, a special temple was dedicated to the deified queen.

The artistic process used to create the time-worn effect in this painting of an Ancient Egyptian portrait is a mixed media technique called Paper Batik. Our portrait was based upon a painting of Queen Nefertari from her tomb in the Valley of the Queens.

Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel
Temple of Ra-Harakhte (Temple of the Sun - Ramesses II)
Nefertari is the wife of Ramesses II at the feet of her husband.
Several more of his wives, sons and daughters are depicted at the feet of the king.

Queen Nefertari is known as the wife of the pharaoh of ancient Egypt a Ramses II the Great during the reign of the 19th dynasty. She was one of his many wives, but was in the status of favorites. Her biological parents are unknown, but there are reliable reports that she was determined to be a real queen. Perhaps her brother was Amenmoz, the mayor of the capital of Thebes. From their marriage with Ramses II, they had two sons, Amohirwomef and the twins Prehirvonmef Meritamon and Mertatum.
Looking at the architectural monuments of ancient Egypt, built in her honor by order of the royal spouse, it becomes quite obvious that she was of great importance to the pharaoh and played an important role in the palace. It can be said that she had political influence in the ancient civilization.

Nefertari's Gift: The Temple of Abu Simbel

Ramses II built for her the temple of Abu Simbel south of modern Aswan, near the second threshold of the Nile. The stone complex, carved into the rock, contains four large statues of Ramses II. It was dedicated to the cult of Hathor and Queen Nefertari.

Nefertari was not the only woman for the pharaoh. The palace constantly housed a harem, which was controlled by several wives. More than a hundred children were born from Ramses II. But he considered the main wife the most beautiful.

The disappearance of Nefertari from the political scene remains a mystery to science. Experts are sure that she died while in the harem. The discovery of her tomb, decorated with magnificent paintings, added to the treasury of ancient Egypt. Located in a necropolis near Luxor, it contains many secrets for scientists to unravel.

Temple of Abu Simbel. Egypt.
The tomb of Nefertari, carved into the rocks of the Valley of the Queens (QV66), is the most beautiful monument of this necropolis; its murals, covering an area of 520 m2, are rightfully considered one of the best works of art of the entire era of the New Kingdom. The murals of the tomb illustrate some chapters of the book "The Sayings of the Exit into the Day" (Book of the Dead) and show the path of the queen, led by the gods to the underworld to be judged by Osiris.
Eighteen steps lead from the entrance carved into the rocks to the inner chambers of the tomb. The portico of the door in front of the first chamber is badly damaged, but the queen's titles are still read on its right side:
"Hereditary nobility, Great in grace, beauty, sweetness and love, Lady of Upper and Lower Egypt, reposed, Lady of the Two Lands, Nefertari, Beloved Mut, Right-voiced before Osiris."

Nefertari playing senet.

Nearby are shown the "soul of Ra" - the snow-white phoenix Benu, symbolizing the eternal cyclic return of life, as well as a kiosk, inside which the mummy of Nefertari lies on a lion-headed bed; at the head and at the feet, the mummy is accompanied by two weeping falcons - Nephthys and Isis. The god of the Nile water, Hapi, grants Nefertari a palm leaf, symbolizing millions of years, and the syncretic sign shen-ujat, which guarantees eternity and resurrection for the deceased. Nearby are the Heavenly Cow Nut and the four sons of Horus - the guardians of the deceased and her entrails, laid in canopies. To the right of the entrance to the tomb, Nefertari appears before Osiris and Anubis. She is depicted as entering the room, and the faces of the gods, the "lords of the Duat", the true inhabitants of this place, are shown facing the exit and the queen walking towards them. Nefertari is dressed in magnificent snow-white clothes made of linen, which Egypt was so famous for in ancient times; they are tied under the chest with a red belt in the form of an amulet tet - the knot of Isis. On the shoulders of Nefertari is a rich necklace of usekh. On the queen's head is a Shuti ceremonial dress, consisting of a dark blue wig decorated with the golden wings of the kite of the goddess Mut, a stand, a golden solar disk and two ostrich feathers.

Plan of the tomb of Nefertari.

Fragment of the same scene.

The visual perspective of the passage through this door is completed by the figures of Atum and Osiris, seated back to back, depicted on the opposite wall. Two figures of the goddess Maat on the inner sides of the door symbolize the passage to the Hall of Two Truths - the hall where psychostasia takes place - the judgment of the gods and the determination of the weight of sins accumulated in the human heart.
Chamber "G" (3x5 m) contains images of Nefertari standing before Ptah, the lord of Memphis and Thoth, the lord of "divine sayings" - letters, as well as magic.
“Behold, the great one, who sees her father, the lord of the letter Thoth. Here, I come with a soul, mighty, knowing the Scriptures of Thoth... Bring me a vessel, bring me a palette of Thoth with their secrets in them. Oh Gods! Here I am a scribe... Bring me writing supplies so that I can embody the orders of Osiris, the great god, beautifully every day... O Ra-Khorakhta, I will follow the Truth, I will comprehend the Truth.

Nefertari before Thoth.
On the long eastern wall of chamber "G" rich gifts are shown: meat, bread, vegetables, which are donated to Osiris and Atum by Nefertari, holding a scepter kherep in her right hand.

Osiris and Atum.

The scene of the sacrifice to Atum.

Osiris on one of the pillars.

A small niche for canopic canopies is carved into the left wall of the chamber. Its walls are decorated with images of Anubis and spirits, the sons of Horus, the patrons of the canopic; on the central wall there is an image of the winged goddess of the sky Nut with the signs of eternal life ankh in her hands.
On three sides of the burial chamber there are passages to small side rooms ("M", "Q", "O"), intended for storage of grave goods. The decoration is best preserved in cell "M". The doorway is flanked by images of the goddesses Wadjet and Nekhbet in the form of snakes resting on djed pillars. On the walls are images of the anthropomorphic Osiris-Djed with uas sceptres in his hands, Nefertari herself in the form of a mummy, Isis and Nephthys with the four sons of Horus. Under their protection, the queen "follows" the image of the legendary house of Osiris in Abydos.

Osiris, Hathor Imentet, Anubis. Relief of the wall of the burial chamber.
On the walls of the cell "O" there are heavily damaged images of the queen saying prayers before Hathor, Lady of the West. On the right side, Nefertari appears before Isis and Anubis, seated on thrones. Two altars with flowers and bread stand in front of the deities. The central wall is filled with the winged figure of Maat. The surviving fragment of the text on behalf of the goddess speaks of "the creation of a place for the queen in the house of Amon." Perhaps there was a statue of Nefertari here.
The decoration of the "Q" chamber is practically not preserved. The figure of Isis on the southern wall, fragments of the procession of the gods, a djed pillar between two amulets of Isis tet - these are the main images from this room that have come down to our time.
It is known that the masters who created ordinary tools in the light of special, non-smoking oil lamps of the tomb of Ramses II, Nefertari and their children were the “head of work” Neferhotep the Elder, Nebnefer, Neferhotep the Younger, Kakha and his son Inerhau. The scribes Ramose, Kenherkhepeshef, Amenemope and Khevi followed the work.

Ernesto Schiaparelli.

The tomb of Nefertari was discovered in 1904 by an Italian archaeological expedition led by Ernesto Schiaparelli.

During restoration.

During restoration.

Valley of the Queens and the sacred grotto of the goddess Hathor.

(c) Quoted. by: Solkin V.V. Sun of rulers. Ancient Egyptian civilization of the Ramesside era. M., 2000, footnotes omitted.
(c) photo - Guillermo Aldana and others.

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Ramses II. Family of Ramesses II

Nefertari's Gift: The Temple of Abu Simbel

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