Nebettawy
Encyclopedia
Nebettawy was an Ancient Egypt
ian princess and queen, the fifth daughter and one of the eight Great Royal Wives
of Pharaoh
Ramesses II
.
, but this is by no means certain. She is shown in the greater Abu Simbel
temple. On the second southern colossus in front of the temple Nebettawy is depicted in the regalia of a queen. Nebettawy shown with a cap wig, a fairly simple modius and the double plumes. Bint-Anath (also dressed as a queen) stands by the left leg of the second southern colossus, Nebettawy by the right leg, and princess Isetnofret II stands in front of the colossus.
Nebettawy appears as the fifth princess in a parade of royal daughters as depicted in the great temple at Abu Simbel. She appears behind Bintanath, Bakmut, Nefertari, and Meritamen. The princesses are shown carrying a sistrum.
Nebettawy is not shown on the smaller temple of Abu Simbel. Nefertari is shown with Meytamen and Henuttawy on the facade of this temple.
After Bintanath
and Meritamen
, she was the third of Ramesses' daughters to become her father's wife (possibly after the death of Meritamen). Nebettawy served as Great Royal Wife
while her father entered the diplomatic marriage with Maathorneferure
, the daughter of the Hittite king Hattusilis III, in year 33. Nebettawy and her half-sister Bintanath
fulfilled the ritual role of that of the queen of Egypt. She held the titles Lady of the Two Lands (nb.t-t3.wỉ), Great Royal Wife
(ḥm.t-nsw wr.t), Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt (ḥnw.t šmˁw mḥw), King’s Daughter (s3.t-nsw), King’s Daughter of his body, his beloved (s3.t-nsw n.t ẖt=f mrỉỉ.t=f).
(QV52 - 20th dynasty). It is not known what the precise meaning of this piece of regalia was. An earlier version of this crown was worn by Princess-Queen Sitamen, the daughter-wife of Amenhotep III
. Hence it could be a reference to her position as Princess-Queen.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian princess and queen, the fifth daughter and one of the eight Great Royal Wives
Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife or Chief King's Wife is the term used to refer to the chief wife of the pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. While most Ancient Egyptians were monogamous, the pharaoh would have had other, lesser wives and concubines in addition to the Great Royal Wife...
of Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
Ramesses II
Ramesses II
Ramesses II , referred to as Ramesses the Great, was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire...
.
Life
Nebettawy may have been the daughter of Ramesses' most beloved wife, NefertariNefertari
Nefertari also known as Nefertari Merytmut was one of the Great Royal Wives of Ramesses the Great. Nefertari means 'Beautiful Companion' and Meritmut means 'Beloved of [the Goddess] Mut'. She is one of the best known Egyptian queens, next to Cleopatra, Nefertiti and Hatshepsut...
, but this is by no means certain. She is shown in the greater Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel temples refers to two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel in Nubia, southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 230 km southwest of Aswan...
temple. On the second southern colossus in front of the temple Nebettawy is depicted in the regalia of a queen. Nebettawy shown with a cap wig, a fairly simple modius and the double plumes. Bint-Anath (also dressed as a queen) stands by the left leg of the second southern colossus, Nebettawy by the right leg, and princess Isetnofret II stands in front of the colossus.
Nebettawy appears as the fifth princess in a parade of royal daughters as depicted in the great temple at Abu Simbel. She appears behind Bintanath, Bakmut, Nefertari, and Meritamen. The princesses are shown carrying a sistrum.
Nebettawy is not shown on the smaller temple of Abu Simbel. Nefertari is shown with Meytamen and Henuttawy on the facade of this temple.
After Bintanath
Bintanath
Bintanath was the firstborn daughter and later Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II.-Family:Bintanath was likely born during the reign of her grandfather Seti I. Her mother was Isetnofret, one of the two most prominent wives of Ramesses II...
and Meritamen
Meritamen
Meritamen was a daughter and later Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses the Great.- Family :...
, she was the third of Ramesses' daughters to become her father's wife (possibly after the death of Meritamen). Nebettawy served as Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife or Chief King's Wife is the term used to refer to the chief wife of the pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. While most Ancient Egyptians were monogamous, the pharaoh would have had other, lesser wives and concubines in addition to the Great Royal Wife...
while her father entered the diplomatic marriage with Maathorneferure
Maathorneferure
Maathorneferure was an Ancient Egyptian queen, the Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II.-Family:Maathorneferure was a daughter of the Hittite king Hattusili III and his wife Queen Pudukhepa...
, the daughter of the Hittite king Hattusilis III, in year 33. Nebettawy and her half-sister Bintanath
Bintanath
Bintanath was the firstborn daughter and later Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II.-Family:Bintanath was likely born during the reign of her grandfather Seti I. Her mother was Isetnofret, one of the two most prominent wives of Ramesses II...
fulfilled the ritual role of that of the queen of Egypt. She held the titles Lady of the Two Lands (nb.t-t3.wỉ), Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife or Chief King's Wife is the term used to refer to the chief wife of the pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. While most Ancient Egyptians were monogamous, the pharaoh would have had other, lesser wives and concubines in addition to the Great Royal Wife...
(ḥm.t-nsw wr.t), Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt (ḥnw.t šmˁw mḥw), King’s Daughter (s3.t-nsw), King’s Daughter of his body, his beloved (s3.t-nsw n.t ẖt=f mrỉỉ.t=f).
Death and Burial
She was buried in the tomb QV60. The tomb was robbed already in antiquity and was later used as a Christian chapel. In one of the scenes in the tomb, Nebettawy wears a rather special headdress: a vulture crown with uraeus, topped by a modius and supporting a number of flowers. This specific headdress is only attested for Queen Nebettawy, Queen Isis (QV51 - time of Ramesses III-IV) and Queen TytiTyti
Tyti was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 20th dynasty. It was uncertain which pharaoh was her husband, but he can now only be Ramesses III based on new evidence published in the 2010 issue of the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology . Her titles shown that she was the daughter, sister, wife and mother...
(QV52 - 20th dynasty). It is not known what the precise meaning of this piece of regalia was. An earlier version of this crown was worn by Princess-Queen Sitamen, the daughter-wife of Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. According to different authors, he ruled Egypt from June 1386 to 1349 BC or June 1388 BC to December 1351 BC/1350 BC after his father Thutmose IV died...
. Hence it could be a reference to her position as Princess-Queen.