Nefertiti

Nefertiti (nĕf'ərtē`tē) or Nefretete (nĕf'rĕtē`tē), fl. c.1372–1350 B.C., queen of ancient Egypt; wife of Ikhnaton (XVIII dynasty) and aunt of Tutankhamen. She seems to have been divorced by Ikhnaton late in his reign. The exquisite limestone bust of Nefertiti (Berlin Mus.) has given rise to the tradition that she was one of the most beautiful women of antiquity.

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Nefertiti

Nefertiti, painted limestone bust, about 1350 BC; in the Egyptian Museum, Berlin.

(credit: Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Ägyptisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin/Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin; photograph, Jurgen Liepe)

(flourished 14th century BC) Queen of Egypt and wife of Akhenaton (r. 1353–36 BC). She is known from her portrait bust found at Tell el-Amarna, the king's new capital. She may have been an Asian princess from Mitanni. She appears with Akhenaton in reliefs at Tell el-Amarna and followed his new cult of the sun god Aton. Of her six daughters, two became queens of Egypt. In the 12th year of Akhenaton's reign, Nefertiti either retired after losing favour or died.