Ahmose-Nefertari

Identified as the daughter of Seqenenre Taa II and his queen Ahhhotep, Ahmose-Nefertari was married to her brother, Ahmose I, the first monarch of the New Kingdom. The royal couple bore several children, including the next king, Amenhotep I. Powerful and influential during her lifetime, she is depicted on many contemporary monuments, including the Donation Stela at Karnak. Her attested titles include “great royal wife,” “king’s mother, mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt,” and “great wife of Amun,” this latter placing her high up in the cult of the great state god Amun.

She maintained her power during the reign of her son, Amenhotep I, helping to bring about positive change to the country after the unstable time of the Second Intermediate Period. She outlived her son, dying during the reign of Thutmose I. In later times, mother and son were venerated as a divinized couple by the Egyptians, especially in the village of Deir el-Medina, home to the artisans responsible for the royal tombs. Here they were the focus of a dedicated cult, and were considered the “patron saints” of the Theban necropolis.