AHMOSENEFERTARI

Ahmose-Nefertari was a 'King's Daughter' and a 'King's Wife'; her father was probably *Kamose, the Theban prince who helped to drive the *Hyksos from Egypt and she married *Amosis I, the founder of the New Kingdom, who was probably her uncle. She continued the tradition of powerful royal women who played a major role in the early years of the Eighteenth Dynasty, but her influence was even greater than that of her predecessors. Together with her husband, she received widespread acclaim; he gave her the title of 'Second Prophet' in the temple of Amun at Karnak and when he died, Ahmose-Nefertari retained her powerful influence throughout the reign of her son, *Amenophis I.

Only rarely were humans deified in Egypt, but Ahmose-Nefertari and her son received their own cult; they were worshipped in the Theban necropolis and were adopted by the royal necropolis workmen of Deir el Medina as their special patrons and protectors.

Painted representations of the queen show her with a black or even a blue skin colour but the significance of this is not clear.Her mummy and coffin were discovered in the cache of royal mummies; she may originally have been buried in the tomb of her son, * Amenophis I, at Dira Abu'n Naga at Thebes and she also received a funerary cult in his Theban mortuary temple.

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(fl. 1550–1500 BC)

Wife and probably sister of Ahmose I and thus daughter of Seqenenre Tao and Ahhotep. She appears to have been the first queen to use the title God’s wife of Amunand is portrayed with her husband on several monuments of the reign. Ahmose-Nefertari may have acted as regent for her son, Amenhotep I, and seems to have survived him.She was deified with him after his death and is worshipped with him, especially at the village of Deir el-Medina.