Nefertiti was the queen of Egypt during the Amarna period and wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. She ruled with significant influence and power, sometimes depicted wearing the pharaoh's crown. Nefertiti and Akhenaten promoted the sun god Aten and established a new capital at Akhetaten dedicated to Aten worship, changing Egyptian religion and society. After 17 years of rule, Nefertiti and Akhenaten disappeared without a trace, their tomb was found empty. Nefertiti's iconic bust is considered one of the greatest works of ancient art.

1. Nefertiti

2.  There is no known information on Neferatiti’s
bloodline.
 Some speculate that Aye could have been her
father. But she is also thought to be the
daughter of an army officer.
 Her only known blood relative is a
sister, Mutnodjmet.

3.  Nefertiti was the queen of Akhenaten during
Egypt’s Amarna period.
 Nefertiti ruled like no other queen of
Egypt, ancient artwork suggest that
she had almost the same
influence as Akhenaten.
 She is even depicted wearing
a Pharaoh's crown and killing
her enemies. No other woman
has ever been depicted doing
so.

4.  Nefertiti and Akhenaten first made a name
for themselves by denouncing the popular
God, Amun, in favor of Aten, the Sun God.
 They created Aketaten, a city for Aten in the
Amarna region of Egypt.
 Archaeologists have found that
Aketaten was the first planned
suburb in history.

5.  Akhenaten and Nefertiti
changed religious rituals by
allowing ordinary citizens to
participate.
 They also changed the role of
royalty, proclaiming the
couple to be more god like
than human.
 They believed that upon their
death, they would not be sent
to the under world but
instead, they would rise up
and become one with Aten.

6.  Nefertiti and Akhenaten wanted
to promote Aten as the one and
only true God.
 They canceled the multi God
celebrating festival of Opet.
 After 10 years in power, Nefertiti
and Akhenaten ordered the
destruction of all shrines of the
many Egyptian Gods.
 They tried to wipe out 2,000 years
of Egyptian history and religion.
 This enraged the citizens of
Thebes.

7.  Queen Nefertiti and her
husband ruled Egypt for
17 years.
 There is no record of how
they died.
 Their royal tomb was
found empty.
 Controversy continues to
swirl around Nefertiti.

8.  The bust of Nefertiti has become the icon for feminine beauty.
 Nefertiti’s bust is considered by many to be one of the greatest
works of art of the pre-modern world.
 Slight blemishes like a missing eye crystal and broken left ear are
minor considering how old the bust is.
 The bust is currently housed in Berlin, Germany and has long been
a point of contention between Germany and Egypt.

9.  EncycloMedia.com. (2007). EncycloMedia.com. Retrieved
from http://www.encyclomedia.com/queen_nefertiti.html
 Dunn, J. (2010). touregypt.net. Tour Egypt. Retrieved from
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/nefertiti.htm
 KingTutOne.com. (2005). KingTutOne.com. Retrieved from
http://www.kingtutone.com/queens/nefertiti/
 Tyldesley, J. A. (1999). Nefertiti: Egypt's Sun Queen (2nd
ed.). London, England, England: Penguin Books, LTD.
 National Geographic. (2010). You Tube. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
1GULSVk5dc&feature=fvw