Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife of Amenhotep IV—later known as Akhenaten—is one of history’s most enigmatic and celebrated figures.

Ancient inscriptions praise her beauty and grace, such as the one carved on a stela at Amarna: “The foremost lady among all nobles, exalted in the palace, flawless in appearance, radiant in the double plume, mistress of joy, beloved of favor, whose voice brings delight, Great Wife of the King, his cherished one, Great Mistress of the Two Lands—Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, granted life forever and for eternity!”

Her husband, Akhenaten, brought sweeping changes to Egypt. He abandoned the long-standing polytheistic traditions in favor of devotion to a single god, the solar disk Aten. He even relocated the capital to a new city of his own creation, Akhetaten, meaning “Horizon of the Aten.”

Yet, this bold religious revolution was fleeting. After Akhenaten’s death, Egypt returned to its traditional beliefs. His name and legacy were systematically erased—his city deserted, his monuments defaced, and the images of his family, including Nefertiti, destroyed. For centuries, their memory lay hidden beneath the sands of history.