The Great Royal Queen Nefertiti is one of the most notable queens of Egyptian history. She was made famous from the discovery of her limestone bust, now being held in the Altes Museum in Berlin. Not only was she known throughout the land for her beauty, but also for the elevated status she held as Queen. Together with her husband, the Pharaoh Akhenaten, they established a radical change to Egypt’s art style and religion.
Nefertiti was the Royal Wife of Akhenaten, who was formerly named Amenhotep IV during the earlier years of his reign. She ruled alongside her husband during the 14th century B.C. of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. The origins of her land and birth remain uncertain, but it is believed that she did not come directly from the line of royalty. Some speculate that she was a foreign princess, but as her
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They established the cult of Aten, the god whose power of light manifested itself from the sun disk (Aldred 172). In the sense, Amenhotep VI banned all gods from being worshipped and moved Egypt into a monotheistic religion. "a primeval first pair," (Dunn). “beautiful are the beauties of Aten” (“Nefertiti Biography”).
During Akhenaten’s reign, he introduced an unusual art style that changed the way the King and Queen were depicted, in both physical distortions and concept. Femininity was an important aspect of life to Akhenaten, so he went to great lengths to represent Nefertiti in the highest regard. Nefertiti was depicted as a symbol of fertility alongside images of their daughters. “they replace the images of the old ruling gods with representations of the new divine rulers,” (Aldred 175).
Despite the astounding status she had in life, Nefertiti’s last remaining years, as well as the circumstances of her burial, are shrouded in mysteries. She disappeared from the line of history after 12 years of Akhenaten’s reign, so her whereabouts became controversial