Nefertari—" Lady of Charm", "Sweet of Love".
“To the modern ear, the sound of her name evokes visions of unrivalled splendour, surpassing beauty and supreme power.”
For over 20 years Nefertari was the beloved first queen of the great Ramesses II and mother of at least six of her husband's many, many children.
No small part of Nefertari's fame comes from her brilliantly-decorated tomb (QV66) in the Valley of the Queens in western Thebes. It is one of the true treasures of ancient Egypt and is renowned for its amazing beauty.
Was there true love between husband and wife? We'll never really know, but Ramesses did lavish upon his wife some endearing epithets: "Lady of Charm", "Sweet of Love", and "Rich of Praise".
This amazing photo by Sandro Vannini shows part of the upper west side of the descending corridor in Nefertari's tomb. Here she offers two round nemset jars to Isis. These would have held perfumed water for libation (ritual pouring) or lustration (ceremonial cleansing). Beneath the jars, two braziers blaze on an altar piled high with fruit, vegetables, cuts of meat and loaves of bread.
Today Nefertari's vibrantly-painted, but incredibly fragile tomb is mostly closed for its own protection.
Love ancient Egypt?
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