Nefertiti is said to be the most beautiful and mysterious women in ancient Egypt. Her name itself means “the beautiful one is come”. She is also known with many names like; Hereditary Princess, Great of Praises, Lady of Grace, Sweet of Love, Lady of The Two Lands, Main King’s Wife, Great King’s Wife, his beloved, Lady of all Women, and Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt. Nefertiti parentage is uncertain; some believe she was of Egyptian blood, while others say she was a foreign origin. Some theories say she was the daughter of Ay, the vizier who later became pharaoh. Some also believe that she was princess of Mitanni which was known now as Syria. Her origin was mysterious but her domestic and political life was mysterious too.

Nefertiti was married when she was fifteen years old to Akhenaten who was a year older and became king upon his father's death.She ruled alongside Akhenaten and enjoyed a high profile.Evidence of her political importance is seen in many carved scenes.She is shown appearing behind her husband the Pharaoh in offering scenes in the role of the queen supporting her husband, but she is also depicted in scenes that would have normally been the prerogative of the king. She is shown smiting the enemy, and captive enemies decorate her throne.

Durning her reign as queen Egypt went about many religious changes.The old Gods were disregarded, temples shut down, and priests forced to change their ways.They started new religion worshipping a single God known as Aten(the disk of the sun).Together they served as the high priests of the Aten. They also moved the religious capital Thebes to Amarna.

Together,Akhenaten and Nefertiti had six daughters.The depictions show the couple side by side often with only one or two daughters,but as time goes on,the number increases until there are six. In the above stela,the couple is seated together.Akhenaten is giving his daughter an earring while his wife Nefertiti has the other two daughters on her lap. In this depiction, the queen is having a wonderful time and is shown in a loving manner with her husband and children.

Akhenaten had a son from his second wife Kiya.Tutankhamun ascended to the throne after the death of his father Akhenaten.He was less than 10 years of age when he assumed the throne.He married to Akhenaten's and Nefertitit's third daugther who was his half-sister. Under his rule Egypt moved its religious capital back to Thebes. Which means the official worship to god Amun was brought back to Egypt.After less than a decade rule,Tutankhamun dies without living heirs.This brings the spectacular period of Amarna to an end.

Twelve years towards the end of Akhenaten's reign into the Amarna Period Nefertiti disappears.They are many theories of her disappearance. Archeologists and historians never found any records of her.Some say she died, some believe she was murdered; some say she has gone to other kingdom changed her name and ruled with power. She had equal powers as her husband and some believe this could be the cause of her disappearance. Some speculate, due to her daughter’s death, she left the kingdom in grief. Graves for King Tutankhamen, King Akhenaten, Queen Kia and King Akhenaten’s mother queen Tiyee were found, which suggest that they have given a proper royal burial. However, no grave was found for Queen Nefertiti.Though we will never know what happened to the queen she will forever remain a mystery.

Reference : Pharaohs Of the Sun by Rita E Freed; The Queens of Egypt by Janet R. Buttles.