Nefertari Queen

Nefertari (Nefertari Merymut) (fl. 13th century B.C.E.) Beloved royal woman of the Nineteenth Dynasty She was the consort of RAMESSES II (r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.) and his favorite wife. Nefertari is believed to have been the daughter of  BAKENKHONSU or some other official of the court. She married Ramesses II when he was 15 and she died in the 24th year of his reign. A tomb fragment also connects Nefertari to the family of  AYA (2) (1323–1319  B.C.E.), and she is believed to have come from Thebes. Her brother, Amenmose, was the mayor of Thebes.

 Nefertari was the mother of Princes Amenhirwon- mef, Prehirwonmef, and Meryré, as well as Princesses Meryatum and Hentawi. None of her sons succeeded their father, as he outlived them, but they served in vari- ous capacities.

A temple in ABU SIMBEL honored Nefertari, who was deified while she lived. The temple was dedicated to the goddess HATHOR. Nefertari probably retired to the harem palace at MI-WER in the FAIYUM soon after the Abu Simbel temple was dedicated. While serving as the Great Wife, she took an active role in court affairs and corresponded with the families of foreign rulers. She was the constant companion of Ramesses II throughout their marriage, and he honored her in life and in death.

Her tomb in the VALLEY OF THE QUEENS at Thebes is one of the largest and most beautifully decorated sites in that necropolis. The tomb has an entry stairway and a central ramp. The interior is bi-level, and reliefs and paintings are elaborate and beautiful, depicting Nefertari in mortuary rituals and in daily routines of life. The burial chamber has pillars and annexes. The entire tomb is now being restored, having suffered considerable dam- age over the centuries.