Showing posts with label Nefertari. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nefertari. Show all posts
Nefertari
Picture (right): In this scene from her tomb Nefertari, first and best-attested consort of Ramesses II, wears the vulture headdress, modius, double plumes and sun disk, and is led by the goddess Isis.
Ramesses II, like his father and grandfather before him, had been born a commoner. With his father's elevation his life underwent a profound change. While still a teenager he was officially proclaimed First King's Son, a position of great honour that brought with it a harem full of beautiful women. Ramesses clearly appreciated his good fortune:
walking in procession on the walls of his various temples. However, it is the children (the daughters in particular) born to his two principal wives Nefertari and Isetnofret I, who playa prominent role in his reign. With the exception of Suterery, mother of Ramesses-Siptah, who appears in a relief alongside her son, his minor wives go unrecorded while the lives of his less significant children are more or less unrecorded.
Ramesses was to rule Egypt for 66 years, outliving most of his wives, many of his children and even some of his grandchildren in the process. Because of this extreme longevity, he is associated with more queen consorts than any other Egyptian king. However, none of his wives attained the high political and religious profile of the Amarna women.
His first, and best attested, consort is Nefertari, whom he married before becoming king. Nefretiti's parentage is never disclosed although, as she never uses the title King's Daughter, we know that she was not born a princess. It may be that she was a memeber of Ay's wider family, the discovery of a glazed knob (possibly the head of a walking stick, or the fastener from a wooden box) decorated with Ay's cartouche in her tomb lends some support to this theory. However, she is probably too young to have been Ay's daughter - a sister to queen Nefertiti and Mutnodjmet - as Ramesses reigned 20 yers after Ay's death.
Nefertiti produced Ramesses's first-born son and heir, Amenhirwenemef, before Seti I's death. More children followed: Ramesses' third son Prehirwenemef, his ninth son Seti, his eleventh son Merire the Elder, and his sixteenth son Meriatum. Several of these sons served as crown prince, but all predeceased their long-lived father. Nefertari's daughter included the ephemeral Baketmut, and Meritamun and Nebettawi who would eventually take their mother's place as queen. Princess Nefertari's name suggests that she, too, may have been the daughter of Queen Nefertari.
Nefertari spent at least 20 years appearing alongside her husband as a dutiful, beautiful, but entirely passive wife. As such, she is frustrating subject for any biographer. She supports Ramesses on all appropriate ceremonial occasions, and may well have accompanied him on his military campaigns. During the Year 5 battle of Kadesh the royal family (Nefertari and her children included?) came dangerously close to bring captured by the Hittities. Many years later, with the Hittites and the Egyptians reconciled, Nefertari was to correspond with the formidable Pudukhepa, queen of the Hittites. This seems somewhat out of character. It appears that Pudukhepa, who played a more prominent role in state afairs than her Egyptian counterpart, wrote first, and that Nefertari had to reply for the sake of politeness. Her stilted letters, however, reveal little of interest and nothing at all of her character.
Ramesses II, like his father and grandfather before him, had been born a commoner. With his father's elevation his life underwent a profound change. While still a teenager he was officially proclaimed First King's Son, a position of great honour that brought with it a harem full of beautiful women. Ramesses clearly appreciated his good fortune: It was Menmaatre [Seti I} who nurtured me, and the All-Lord himself advanced me when I was a child until I could start to rule .... He equipped me with private attendants and with female attendants who resembled the great beauties of the palace. Throughout the land he selected women for me...harem women and female companions.This harem was only the beginning. Throughout his reign Ramesses continued to add to his collection of wives, both foreigners and Egyptians, until he could boast some 100 children surviving infancy (a conservative estimate; some observers have put the number of royal children at over 1501 with daughters and sons in roughly equal numbers. Breaking with convention, Ramesses displayed and named his numerous offspring - the children of lesser wives shown alongside children born to consorts
walking in procession on the walls of his various temples. However, it is the children (the daughters in particular) born to his two principal wives Nefertari and Isetnofret I, who playa prominent role in his reign. With the exception of Suterery, mother of Ramesses-Siptah, who appears in a relief alongside her son, his minor wives go unrecorded while the lives of his less significant children are more or less unrecorded.
Ramesses was to rule Egypt for 66 years, outliving most of his wives, many of his children and even some of his grandchildren in the process. Because of this extreme longevity, he is associated with more queen consorts than any other Egyptian king. However, none of his wives attained the high political and religious profile of the Amarna women.
His first, and best attested, consort is Nefertari, whom he married before becoming king. Nefretiti's parentage is never disclosed although, as she never uses the title King's Daughter, we know that she was not born a princess. It may be that she was a memeber of Ay's wider family, the discovery of a glazed knob (possibly the head of a walking stick, or the fastener from a wooden box) decorated with Ay's cartouche in her tomb lends some support to this theory. However, she is probably too young to have been Ay's daughter - a sister to queen Nefertiti and Mutnodjmet - as Ramesses reigned 20 yers after Ay's death.
Nefertiti produced Ramesses's first-born son and heir, Amenhirwenemef, before Seti I's death. More children followed: Ramesses' third son Prehirwenemef, his ninth son Seti, his eleventh son Merire the Elder, and his sixteenth son Meriatum. Several of these sons served as crown prince, but all predeceased their long-lived father. Nefertari's daughter included the ephemeral Baketmut, and Meritamun and Nebettawi who would eventually take their mother's place as queen. Princess Nefertari's name suggests that she, too, may have been the daughter of Queen Nefertari.
Nefertari spent at least 20 years appearing alongside her husband as a dutiful, beautiful, but entirely passive wife. As such, she is frustrating subject for any biographer. She supports Ramesses on all appropriate ceremonial occasions, and may well have accompanied him on his military campaigns. During the Year 5 battle of Kadesh the royal family (Nefertari and her children included?) came dangerously close to bring captured by the Hittities. Many years later, with the Hittites and the Egyptians reconciled, Nefertari was to correspond with the formidable Pudukhepa, queen of the Hittites. This seems somewhat out of character. It appears that Pudukhepa, who played a more prominent role in state afairs than her Egyptian counterpart, wrote first, and that Nefertari had to reply for the sake of politeness. Her stilted letters, however, reveal little of interest and nothing at all of her character.
Thus says Naptera (Nefertari), the Great Queen of Egypt, to Pudukhepa, the Great Queen of Hatti, my sister;
All goes well with me, your sister, and all goes well with my country. May all go well with you too, my sister, and with your country may all go well also. I have noted that you, my sister, have written to enquire after my well-being. And that you have written to me about the new relationship of good peace and brotherhood in which the Great King of Egypt now stands with his brother the Great King of Hatti.
Pictures: Maat at the Tomb of Nefertari. Valley of the Queens.
Maat, goddess of truth and personification of the concept maat, opens her wings to embrace and protect the cartouche of the 19th Dynasty queen Nefertari. On her head Maat wears the feather of truth. Tomb of Nefertari. Valley of the Queens.
Picture: Nefertari at the Lesser Temple of Abu Simbel as Hathor.
Ancient Egypt Pictures
Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II, illustrates the increasingly complex role of the queen consort as she appears on the fecade of the Lesser Temple of Abu Simbel bearing the regalia of the goddess Hathor. Nefertari is perhaps the best example of a queen whose name and image are today well known, but whose life remains a tantalizing blank.
The Valley of the Queens Plans - Luxor, Egypt.
Luxor, Egypt.
Background:
In this valley by no means all the queens of the New Kingdom were buried. It appears that a special burial ground for the royal consorts was started only in the reign of Ramses I and royal offspring were also buried here. There are signs that previously the queens were laid to rest beside their husbands in the Valley of the Kings, but pillage of the royal tombs has made it extremely difficult for archeologists to confirm this.
There are over twenty tombs in the Valley of the Queens. Many are unfinished and entirely without decoration, resembling caves rather than sacred tomb chambers. The most impressive is that of the wife of Ramses II, Queen Nefertari, his favorite. Although her tomb may only be visited by special permission because of the deterioration of the murals, it will nevertheless be described in order to give a picture of the memorial to a Pharaoh's love. This, and the tomb constructed for the son of Ramses III, Amon-hir-
Khopshef (Amen-hir-Khopshef), who died too young to pass alone into the divine presence of the gods of the underworld, are the most important.
Tomb of Nefertari
Nefer-tari or 'Beautiful Companion' has a magnificent tomb comprising an entrance hall (I) with a side chamber (2) leading off to the right. A corridor stairway (3) leads to the burial chamber (4) which has four square pillars and, in the center, a few stairs leading to what was once the site of the sarcophagus, sunk slightly lower than the ground rock. The walls throughout the tomb are elaborately worked in low relief, partly filled with stucco and painted.
The first thing that strikes one on entry into the tomb is the extravagant use of color and its astounding brilliance. The flesh hues, white robes, black hair, bright friezes give the impression of having been newly painted. And the second thing is the realism with which the queen herself has been painted. She is graceful andsensitive and extremely beautiful. Her form, as she appears before the various deities, is accompanied by only a modest amount of text. This, despite the excessive detail of the drawings, gives the impression of simplification, somewhat as though the presence of one so beautiful spoke for itself.
On the left-hand wall of the first chamber (a) is a series of magical formulas with the queen playing. At (b) the Ka worships the rising sun between two lions which symbolize the immediate past and the immediate future. To the right at (c) and (d) the goddesses Neith and Selket receive the queen. Maat, goddess of truth, is represented at each side of the entrance to the annex (e). In the side chamber (2) on the right-hand wall (f) the queen adores seven sacred cows, the bull and four steering oars of the sky. On the facing wall (g) she makes offerings to Osiris (on the left) and Atum (on the right). On the left-hand wall (h) she stands before the ibis-headed Thoth while Heqt the frog squats before him.
In the stair-cased corridor (3) Nefertari makes offerings to Isis (on the left) and Hathor (on the right) while guardian deities protect and guide her.
The murals of the tomb chamber (4) are not in such perfect condition but represent the deceased queen again with the deities.
As usual, demons guard the gates of the underworld and the queen passes by with the aid of the sacred formulas and emblems. In this tomb the safeguards and warnings against evil, and examples of possible sufferings to those. not pure in heart, seem to have been used to the minimum. One is conscious of a path of purity through the underworld, as though the journey of Ramses II's beloved was a mere formality.
Tomb of Amen-hir-Khopshef
The tomb comprises a large entrance hall with an unfinished annex to the right and the tomb chamber (unfinished).
On the left-hand wall, travelling clockwise, we wee the young prince following the Pharaoh Ramses III, who offers incense to Ptah (a) and then introduces his son. Afterwards he presents the boy to Duamutef and to Imsety (Imseti) (b), who conducts the pair to Isis. Note that Isis (c) looks over her shoulder to the advancing Pharaoh. She holds him by the hand.
On the right-hand wall (continuing clockwise) Ramses and his son are conducted to Hathor (d), Hapi, Qebehsenuef (e) Shu (f) and Nephthys (g) who puts her hand beneath the chin of the bereaved Pharaoh.
The corridors bear scenes from the Book of the Dead.
There was no mummy of the boy in the sarcophagus but in its place was a foetus of six months' development. Perhaps the mother miscarried due to grief at the loss of the boy. One can only speculate. The foetus is preserved in a small hermetically sealed glass in the tomb.
This is not Queen Tiy, consort of Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten, but a queen of the Ramesside era. The tomb is damaged but some of the murals still retain startling freshness of color. The figures of the gods and demons in the tomb chamber defy the years with their brightness.
The tomb is simple, comprising an ante-chamber (I), a long passage (2) and the tomb chamber (3), which is flanked by three small chambers.
On the rear wall of the chamber flanking the tomb chamber to the right (a) is a representation of Hathor who appears in the form of a cow in a mountainous landscape. In front there is a sycamore from which Hathor, now represented in human form, pours out Nile water to revive the queen.
The chamber on the opposite side (b) contains the mummy shaft. The rear chamber (c) shows genii of the dead and various gods seated at offering tables while the queen prays to them (to left and right). On the rear wall Osiris sits enthroned with Neith and Selket before him and Nephthys, Isis and Thoth behind him.
Tags:
Amen-hir-Khopshef,
ancient,
ancient egypt,
Duamutef,
Egypt,
Heqt,
Imsety,
Isis,
Maat,
Nefertari,
Neith,
Nephthys,
Pharaoh,
Qebehsenuef,
Ramses II,
Sleket,
Titi,
Tombs,
Valley of the Queens
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Showing posts with label Nefertari. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nefertari. Show all posts
Nefertari
Picture (right): In this scene from her tomb Nefertari, first and best-attested consort of Ramesses II, wears the vulture headdress, modius, double plumes and sun disk, and is led by the goddess Isis.
Ramesses II, like his father and grandfather before him, had been born a commoner. With his father's elevation his life underwent a profound change. While still a teenager he was officially proclaimed First King's Son, a position of great honour that brought with it a harem full of beautiful women. Ramesses clearly appreciated his good fortune:
walking in procession on the walls of his various temples. However, it is the children (the daughters in particular) born to his two principal wives Nefertari and Isetnofret I, who playa prominent role in his reign. With the exception of Suterery, mother of Ramesses-Siptah, who appears in a relief alongside her son, his minor wives go unrecorded while the lives of his less significant children are more or less unrecorded.
Ramesses was to rule Egypt for 66 years, outliving most of his wives, many of his children and even some of his grandchildren in the process. Because of this extreme longevity, he is associated with more queen consorts than any other Egyptian king. However, none of his wives attained the high political and religious profile of the Amarna women.
His first, and best attested, consort is Nefertari, whom he married before becoming king. Nefretiti's parentage is never disclosed although, as she never uses the title King's Daughter, we know that she was not born a princess. It may be that she was a memeber of Ay's wider family, the discovery of a glazed knob (possibly the head of a walking stick, or the fastener from a wooden box) decorated with Ay's cartouche in her tomb lends some support to this theory. However, she is probably too young to have been Ay's daughter - a sister to queen Nefertiti and Mutnodjmet - as Ramesses reigned 20 yers after Ay's death.
Nefertiti produced Ramesses's first-born son and heir, Amenhirwenemef, before Seti I's death. More children followed: Ramesses' third son Prehirwenemef, his ninth son Seti, his eleventh son Merire the Elder, and his sixteenth son Meriatum. Several of these sons served as crown prince, but all predeceased their long-lived father. Nefertari's daughter included the ephemeral Baketmut, and Meritamun and Nebettawi who would eventually take their mother's place as queen. Princess Nefertari's name suggests that she, too, may have been the daughter of Queen Nefertari.
Nefertari spent at least 20 years appearing alongside her husband as a dutiful, beautiful, but entirely passive wife. As such, she is frustrating subject for any biographer. She supports Ramesses on all appropriate ceremonial occasions, and may well have accompanied him on his military campaigns. During the Year 5 battle of Kadesh the royal family (Nefertari and her children included?) came dangerously close to bring captured by the Hittities. Many years later, with the Hittites and the Egyptians reconciled, Nefertari was to correspond with the formidable Pudukhepa, queen of the Hittites. This seems somewhat out of character. It appears that Pudukhepa, who played a more prominent role in state afairs than her Egyptian counterpart, wrote first, and that Nefertari had to reply for the sake of politeness. Her stilted letters, however, reveal little of interest and nothing at all of her character.
Ramesses II, like his father and grandfather before him, had been born a commoner. With his father's elevation his life underwent a profound change. While still a teenager he was officially proclaimed First King's Son, a position of great honour that brought with it a harem full of beautiful women. Ramesses clearly appreciated his good fortune: It was Menmaatre [Seti I} who nurtured me, and the All-Lord himself advanced me when I was a child until I could start to rule .... He equipped me with private attendants and with female attendants who resembled the great beauties of the palace. Throughout the land he selected women for me...harem women and female companions.This harem was only the beginning. Throughout his reign Ramesses continued to add to his collection of wives, both foreigners and Egyptians, until he could boast some 100 children surviving infancy (a conservative estimate; some observers have put the number of royal children at over 1501 with daughters and sons in roughly equal numbers. Breaking with convention, Ramesses displayed and named his numerous offspring - the children of lesser wives shown alongside children born to consorts
walking in procession on the walls of his various temples. However, it is the children (the daughters in particular) born to his two principal wives Nefertari and Isetnofret I, who playa prominent role in his reign. With the exception of Suterery, mother of Ramesses-Siptah, who appears in a relief alongside her son, his minor wives go unrecorded while the lives of his less significant children are more or less unrecorded.
Ramesses was to rule Egypt for 66 years, outliving most of his wives, many of his children and even some of his grandchildren in the process. Because of this extreme longevity, he is associated with more queen consorts than any other Egyptian king. However, none of his wives attained the high political and religious profile of the Amarna women.
His first, and best attested, consort is Nefertari, whom he married before becoming king. Nefretiti's parentage is never disclosed although, as she never uses the title King's Daughter, we know that she was not born a princess. It may be that she was a memeber of Ay's wider family, the discovery of a glazed knob (possibly the head of a walking stick, or the fastener from a wooden box) decorated with Ay's cartouche in her tomb lends some support to this theory. However, she is probably too young to have been Ay's daughter - a sister to queen Nefertiti and Mutnodjmet - as Ramesses reigned 20 yers after Ay's death.
Nefertiti produced Ramesses's first-born son and heir, Amenhirwenemef, before Seti I's death. More children followed: Ramesses' third son Prehirwenemef, his ninth son Seti, his eleventh son Merire the Elder, and his sixteenth son Meriatum. Several of these sons served as crown prince, but all predeceased their long-lived father. Nefertari's daughter included the ephemeral Baketmut, and Meritamun and Nebettawi who would eventually take their mother's place as queen. Princess Nefertari's name suggests that she, too, may have been the daughter of Queen Nefertari.
Nefertari spent at least 20 years appearing alongside her husband as a dutiful, beautiful, but entirely passive wife. As such, she is frustrating subject for any biographer. She supports Ramesses on all appropriate ceremonial occasions, and may well have accompanied him on his military campaigns. During the Year 5 battle of Kadesh the royal family (Nefertari and her children included?) came dangerously close to bring captured by the Hittities. Many years later, with the Hittites and the Egyptians reconciled, Nefertari was to correspond with the formidable Pudukhepa, queen of the Hittites. This seems somewhat out of character. It appears that Pudukhepa, who played a more prominent role in state afairs than her Egyptian counterpart, wrote first, and that Nefertari had to reply for the sake of politeness. Her stilted letters, however, reveal little of interest and nothing at all of her character.
Thus says Naptera (Nefertari), the Great Queen of Egypt, to Pudukhepa, the Great Queen of Hatti, my sister;
All goes well with me, your sister, and all goes well with my country. May all go well with you too, my sister, and with your country may all go well also. I have noted that you, my sister, have written to enquire after my well-being. And that you have written to me about the new relationship of good peace and brotherhood in which the Great King of Egypt now stands with his brother the Great King of Hatti.
Tags:
Nefertari,
Queens of Ancient Egypt
Pictures: Maat at the Tomb of Nefertari. Valley of the Queens.
Maat, goddess of truth and personification of the concept maat, opens her wings to embrace and protect the cartouche of the 19th Dynasty queen Nefertari. On her head Maat wears the feather of truth. Tomb of Nefertari. Valley of the Queens.
Picture: Nefertari at the Lesser Temple of Abu Simbel as Hathor.
Ancient Egypt Pictures
Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II, illustrates the increasingly complex role of the queen consort as she appears on the fecade of the Lesser Temple of Abu Simbel bearing the regalia of the goddess Hathor. Nefertari is perhaps the best example of a queen whose name and image are today well known, but whose life remains a tantalizing blank.
The Valley of the Queens Plans - Luxor, Egypt.
Luxor, Egypt.
Background:
In this valley by no means all the queens of the New Kingdom were buried. It appears that a special burial ground for the royal consorts was started only in the reign of Ramses I and royal offspring were also buried here. There are signs that previously the queens were laid to rest beside their husbands in the Valley of the Kings, but pillage of the royal tombs has made it extremely difficult for archeologists to confirm this.
There are over twenty tombs in the Valley of the Queens. Many are unfinished and entirely without decoration, resembling caves rather than sacred tomb chambers. The most impressive is that of the wife of Ramses II, Queen Nefertari, his favorite. Although her tomb may only be visited by special permission because of the deterioration of the murals, it will nevertheless be described in order to give a picture of the memorial to a Pharaoh's love. This, and the tomb constructed for the son of Ramses III, Amon-hir-
Khopshef (Amen-hir-Khopshef), who died too young to pass alone into the divine presence of the gods of the underworld, are the most important.
Tomb of Nefertari
Nefer-tari or 'Beautiful Companion' has a magnificent tomb comprising an entrance hall (I) with a side chamber (2) leading off to the right. A corridor stairway (3) leads to the burial chamber (4) which has four square pillars and, in the center, a few stairs leading to what was once the site of the sarcophagus, sunk slightly lower than the ground rock. The walls throughout the tomb are elaborately worked in low relief, partly filled with stucco and painted.
The first thing that strikes one on entry into the tomb is the extravagant use of color and its astounding brilliance. The flesh hues, white robes, black hair, bright friezes give the impression of having been newly painted. And the second thing is the realism with which the queen herself has been painted. She is graceful and
sensitive and extremely beautiful. Her form, as she appears before the various deities, is accompanied by only a modest amount of text. This, despite the excessive detail of the drawings, gives the impression of simplification, somewhat as though the presence of one so beautiful spoke for itself.
On the left-hand wall of the first chamber (a) is a series of magical formulas with the queen playing. At (b) the Ka worships the rising sun between two lions which symbolize the immediate past and the immediate future. To the right at (c) and (d) the goddesses Neith and Selket receive the queen. Maat, goddess of truth, is represented at each side of the entrance to the annex (e). In the side chamber (2) on the right-hand wall (f) the queen adores seven sacred cows, the bull and four steering oars of the sky. On the facing wall (g) she makes offerings to Osiris (on the left) and Atum (on the right). On the left-hand wall (h) she stands before the ibis-headed Thoth while Heqt the frog squats before him.
In the stair-cased corridor (3) Nefertari makes offerings to Isis (on the left) and Hathor (on the right) while guardian deities protect and guide her.
The murals of the tomb chamber (4) are not in such perfect condition but represent the deceased queen again with the deities.
As usual, demons guard the gates of the underworld and the queen passes by with the aid of the sacred formulas and emblems. In this tomb the safeguards and warnings against evil, and examples of possible sufferings to those. not pure in heart, seem to have been used to the minimum. One is conscious of a path of purity through the underworld, as though the journey of Ramses II's beloved was a mere formality.
Tomb of Amen-hir-Khopshef
In this charming tomb Ramses III himself leads his son Amon-Hir-Khopshef into the presence of the divine gods of the underworld. The nine-year-old boy wears the side-lock of youth ,and carries the feather of truth as he obediently follows his father. The reliefs are of fine quality low painted relief, in excellently preserved color. In fact the murals of this tomb are amongst the finest on the necropolis.
The tomb comprises a large entrance hall with an unfinished annex to the right and the tomb chamber (unfinished).
On the left-hand wall, travelling clockwise, we wee the young prince following the Pharaoh Ramses III, who offers incense to Ptah (a) and then introduces his son. Afterwards he presents the boy to Duamutef and to Imsety (Imseti) (b), who conducts the pair to Isis. Note that Isis (c) looks over her shoulder to the advancing Pharaoh. She holds him by the hand.
On the right-hand wall (continuing clockwise) Ramses and his son are conducted to Hathor (d), Hapi, Qebehsenuef (e) Shu (f) and Nephthys (g) who puts her hand beneath the chin of the bereaved Pharaoh.
The corridors bear scenes from the Book of the Dead.
There was no mummy of the boy in the sarcophagus but in its place was a foetus of six months' development. Perhaps the mother miscarried due to grief at the loss of the boy. One can only speculate. The foetus is preserved in a small hermetically sealed glass in the tomb.
Tomb of Queen Titi (Tyti)
This is not Queen Tiy, consort of Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten, but a queen of the Ramesside era. The tomb is damaged but some of the murals still retain startling freshness of color. The figures of the gods and demons in the tomb chamber defy the years with their brightness.
The tomb is simple, comprising an ante-chamber (I), a long passage (2) and the tomb chamber (3), which is flanked by three small chambers.
On the rear wall of the chamber flanking the tomb chamber to the right (a) is a representation of Hathor who appears in the form of a cow in a mountainous landscape. In front there is a sycamore from which Hathor, now represented in human form, pours out Nile water to revive the queen.
The chamber on the opposite side (b) contains the mummy shaft. The rear chamber (c) shows genii of the dead and various gods seated at offering tables while the queen prays to them (to left and right). On the rear wall Osiris sits enthroned with Neith and Selket before him and Nephthys, Isis and Thoth behind him.
Background:
In this valley by no means all the queens of the New Kingdom were buried. It appears that a special burial ground for the royal consorts was started only in the reign of Ramses I and royal offspring were also buried here. There are signs that previously the queens were laid to rest beside their husbands in the Valley of the Kings, but pillage of the royal tombs has made it extremely difficult for archeologists to confirm this.
There are over twenty tombs in the Valley of the Queens. Many are unfinished and entirely without decoration, resembling caves rather than sacred tomb chambers. The most impressive is that of the wife of Ramses II, Queen Nefertari, his favorite. Although her tomb may only be visited by special permission because of the deterioration of the murals, it will nevertheless be described in order to give a picture of the memorial to a Pharaoh's love. This, and the tomb constructed for the son of Ramses III, Amon-hir-
Khopshef (Amen-hir-Khopshef), who died too young to pass alone into the divine presence of the gods of the underworld, are the most important.
Tomb of Nefertari
Nefer-tari or 'Beautiful Companion' has a magnificent tomb comprising an entrance hall (I) with a side chamber (2) leading off to the right. A corridor stairway (3) leads to the burial chamber (4) which has four square pillars and, in the center, a few stairs leading to what was once the site of the sarcophagus, sunk slightly lower than the ground rock. The walls throughout the tomb are elaborately worked in low relief, partly filled with stucco and painted.
The first thing that strikes one on entry into the tomb is the extravagant use of color and its astounding brilliance. The flesh hues, white robes, black hair, bright friezes give the impression of having been newly painted. And the second thing is the realism with which the queen herself has been painted. She is graceful andsensitive and extremely beautiful. Her form, as she appears before the various deities, is accompanied by only a modest amount of text. This, despite the excessive detail of the drawings, gives the impression of simplification, somewhat as though the presence of one so beautiful spoke for itself.
On the left-hand wall of the first chamber (a) is a series of magical formulas with the queen playing. At (b) the Ka worships the rising sun between two lions which symbolize the immediate past and the immediate future. To the right at (c) and (d) the goddesses Neith and Selket receive the queen. Maat, goddess of truth, is represented at each side of the entrance to the annex (e). In the side chamber (2) on the right-hand wall (f) the queen adores seven sacred cows, the bull and four steering oars of the sky. On the facing wall (g) she makes offerings to Osiris (on the left) and Atum (on the right). On the left-hand wall (h) she stands before the ibis-headed Thoth while Heqt the frog squats before him.
In the stair-cased corridor (3) Nefertari makes offerings to Isis (on the left) and Hathor (on the right) while guardian deities protect and guide her.
The murals of the tomb chamber (4) are not in such perfect condition but represent the deceased queen again with the deities.
As usual, demons guard the gates of the underworld and the queen passes by with the aid of the sacred formulas and emblems. In this tomb the safeguards and warnings against evil, and examples of possible sufferings to those. not pure in heart, seem to have been used to the minimum. One is conscious of a path of purity through the underworld, as though the journey of Ramses II's beloved was a mere formality.
Tomb of Amen-hir-Khopshef
The tomb comprises a large entrance hall with an unfinished annex to the right and the tomb chamber (unfinished).
On the left-hand wall, travelling clockwise, we wee the young prince following the Pharaoh Ramses III, who offers incense to Ptah (a) and then introduces his son. Afterwards he presents the boy to Duamutef and to Imsety (Imseti) (b), who conducts the pair to Isis. Note that Isis (c) looks over her shoulder to the advancing Pharaoh. She holds him by the hand.
On the right-hand wall (continuing clockwise) Ramses and his son are conducted to Hathor (d), Hapi, Qebehsenuef (e) Shu (f) and Nephthys (g) who puts her hand beneath the chin of the bereaved Pharaoh.
The corridors bear scenes from the Book of the Dead.
There was no mummy of the boy in the sarcophagus but in its place was a foetus of six months' development. Perhaps the mother miscarried due to grief at the loss of the boy. One can only speculate. The foetus is preserved in a small hermetically sealed glass in the tomb.
This is not Queen Tiy, consort of Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten, but a queen of the Ramesside era. The tomb is damaged but some of the murals still retain startling freshness of color. The figures of the gods and demons in the tomb chamber defy the years with their brightness.
The tomb is simple, comprising an ante-chamber (I), a long passage (2) and the tomb chamber (3), which is flanked by three small chambers.
On the rear wall of the chamber flanking the tomb chamber to the right (a) is a representation of Hathor who appears in the form of a cow in a mountainous landscape. In front there is a sycamore from which Hathor, now represented in human form, pours out Nile water to revive the queen.
The chamber on the opposite side (b) contains the mummy shaft. The rear chamber (c) shows genii of the dead and various gods seated at offering tables while the queen prays to them (to left and right). On the rear wall Osiris sits enthroned with Neith and Selket before him and Nephthys, Isis and Thoth behind him.
Tags:
Amen-hir-Khopshef,
ancient,
ancient egypt,
Duamutef,
Egypt,
Heqt,
Imsety,
Isis,
Maat,
Nefertari,
Neith,
Nephthys,
Pharaoh,
Qebehsenuef,
Ramses II,
Sleket,
Titi,
Tombs,
Valley of the Queens
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