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A 3000 Years Old Love Story

Pharaoh Ramesses the Great and Queen Nefertari

Pharaoh Ramesses II the Great ruled ancient Egypt during the 19th dynasty (1292-1190 BCE). His reign was the second-longest in Egyptian history, lasting from 1279 to 1213 BCE. He assumed the throne in 1279 BC as a royal member of the Nineteenth Dynasty and ruled for 67 years. In Greek sources, Ramesses II was also known as Ozymandias, with the first half of the appellation deriving from Ramesses' regnal name, Usermaatre Setepenre, which means 'The Maat of Ra is mighty, Chosen of Ra'. 


He is also recognized as the Egyptian Empire's greatest, most renowned, and most dominating pharaoh. His successors and subsequent Egyptians are reported to have referred to him as the Great Ancestor.



Ramesses II was a famous explorer, monarch, and warrior who conducted multiple military excursions to the Levant to reestablish Egyptian dominance over Canaan. He is also supposed to have conducted journeys south to Nubia, which are documented in inscriptions at the Beit el-Wali and Gerf Hussein temples.

Ramses II the Great had 200 wives and concubines, 96 sons, and 60 daughters throughout his reign. But his first wife, Nefertari, was his favorite and, according to historians, the true love of his life. They were both 24 years old when they married and had four children.



Ruler Nefertari is supposed to have been a Nubian queen from 1292 until 1225 B.C., while some authors state they don't know her origins. She is thought to have been well educated and capable of reading and writing hieroglyphs, uncommon capabilities she employed in diplomatic work for her period, similar to other powerful royals of the time.

According to some historians, she married for peace, that her marriage to Ramses II began only as a political act, a power swap between two kings that resulted in a 100-year ceasefire between Nubia and Egypt. Others claim they married before Ramesses II became King.



While her motives are unknown, historians suggested that Ramses was madly in love with her. She is also known to have accompanied Ramses on military operations, which was unique at the time.

The Great King even had monuments dedicated to the Queen created in her honor. Ramesses, in fact, erected a temple for her at Abu Simbel, one of Egypt's greatest and most magnificent monuments.

Despite her possible early death (perhaps during delivery), Nefertari was widely represented in murals and statues, with one renowned example being the beautiful wall painting within her tomb. In any event, upon Nefertari's death, Ramesses' secondary wife Isetnefret (or Isetnofret) was promoted to the status of main consort – and their son Merneptah (or Merenptah) was the throne's successor (who was already 70 years old during the time of his ascension).

While the pharaohs frequently showed themselves as greater than their queens' sculptures, Ramses did not, he sculpted on the front of the temple two huge sculptures of the queen and four of Ramses II, all of the same height.

Image from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ramses-II-king-of-Egypt

King Ramesses II the great also uniquely called her with the most beautiful names: 
  1. Great of Praises (wrt-hzwt)
  2. Sweet of Love (bnrt-mrwt)
  3. Lady of Grace (nbt-im3t)
  4. Great King's Wife (hmt-niswt-wrt)
  5. His beloved (hmt-niswt-wrt meryt.f)
  6. Lady of The Two Lands (nbt-t3wy)
  7. Lady of all Lands (hnwt-t3w-nbw)
  8. Wife of the Strong Bull (hmt-k3-nxt)
  9. God's Wife (hmt-ntr)
  10. Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt (hnwt-Shm'w-mhw)
Sweetly, 'The one for whom the sun shines'.

Most notably, the beautiful tomb of Nefertari is regarded as the "Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt" and is considered one of the crown jewels of Egyptian burial monuments. It is one of the most brilliantly adorned tombs ever discovered in Egypt.



On her tomb walls, King Ramesses had carved the most lovely words: 'My love is unique – no one can rival her, for she is the most beautiful woman alive. Just bypassing, she has stolen away my heart'.

Hope it can help. Share your thoughts too.
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