Ankhesenpaaten
Short Biography, Information
& Facts about Ankhesenpaaten, the wife of the pharaoh Tutankhamun
Short Biography of
the life of Ankhesenpaaten
The history, facts and information about Ankhesenpaaten,
the wife of the
famous pharaoh Tutankhamun of Ancient Egypt.
The following biography information
provides basic facts about the life Ankhesenpaaten:
-
Ankhesenpaaten meant "She
Lives Through the Aten"
-
Alternative names:
Ankhesenamun and Ankhesenamen
-
Egyptian Period / Kingdom:
New Kingdom
-
Dynasty: Ankhesenpaaten was queen in the Eighteenth
Egyptian Dynasty
-
Name of Pharaoh husband:
Tutankhamun r1334 BC -1325
BC
-
Year of Birth: c1340 BC
-
Period as the Chief wife, Queen Ankhesenpaaten
to Tutankhamun:
r1334 BC -1325 BC
-
Tutankhamun was succeeded by: Ay (Kheperkheprure Ay) 1325
BC
-1321 BC
-
Family
-
Father: Ankhesenpaaten was
the daughter of
the pharaoh
Akhenaten
-
Mother: The name of her mother
was Nefertiti
-
Tia was the nurse of the
Princess Ankhesenpaaten
-
Chief Wife: She was the
chief wife and consort of Tutankhamun. After his death she was forced to
marry the Pharaoh Ay, who was also her grandfather (Ay was the father of
Nefertiti)
-
Year of Death: Unknown but
she probably died sometime during the brief rule of Ay, between 1325 BC
and 1321 BC
-
Why Ankhesenpaaten
was famous: Ankhesenpaaten was famous as the Chief Wife of Tutankhamun
-
Biography and accomplishments:
Ankhesenpaaten was the chief wife and consort of the pharaoh
Tutankhamun. Her father was Amenhotep who would become
known as Akhenaten, the Heretic Pharaoh and her mother was Nefertiti.
The parents of Ankhesenpaaten initiated a religious revolution which
changed Ancient Egypt from a polytheistic religion, with many gods, to
monotheism (the worship of one god). Her father had more than one wife
and Kiya gave birth to Tutankhamun. Tut was therefore the half-brother of
Ankhesenpaaten. After a reign of 17 years her father, Akhenaten, was
forced to abdicate. He was followed by a pharaoh called referred to as Smenkhkare Ankhetkheperure
- there is speculation that this pharaoh was in fact Nefertiti, but this
has never been proved. The rule of Smenkhkare only lasted two years,
when King Tut was made Pharaoh. Nefertiti had
only produced daughters but she arranged for her daughter Ankhesenpaaten
to marry Tutankhamun ensuring that she would have considerable
influence with the new Pharaoh.
-
Tutankhamun married Ankhesenpaaten
in 1334BC. The young married couple lived in Amarna, the name of the
city dedicated to the God Aten by Akhenaten. Three years later in 1331BC
Tutankhamun changed his name from Tutankhaten to
Tutankhamun and Queen
Ankhesenpaaten changed her name to Ankhesenamun, probably due to
pressure from traditionalists, reflecting
the growing acceptance of the old god Amun and decline in support of the
god Aten. A year later King Tut, Ankhesenpaaten and the royal
court, moved
from Amarna back to the old capital at Thebes, the center of worship of the Ancient
Egyptian god Amun and the power base of the Amun priests.
The marriage of King Tut and Queen Ankhesenpaaten
appeared to be happy but the happiness was marred because none of their
children survived infancy. The mummies of two daughters of Tutankhamun
and Ankhesenpaaten were buried with him in his tomb. King Tut died a
mysterious and untimely death in 1325BC. Ankhesenamun (Ankhesenpaaten)
was just 21 years old
-
Following the death of Tutankhamun Ankhesenamun
(Ankhesenpaaten) was told that she was expected to marry her
grandfather, Ay. It was a political move to strengthen the claim of Ay
to the throne. Ankhesenpaaten was apparently totally opposed to the
marriage. She was the daughter of a Pharaoh and had been the wife of a
pharaoh - she was to put up a fight against the marriage. She took the
unprecedented action of writing to the neighbouring King of the
Hittites. An extreme action as the Hittites were long-standing enemies
of the Egyptians
-
A document has been
discovered which is believed to be the plea from Ankhesenamun
(Ankhesenpaaten) sent to the King of the Hittites stating the following:
"My husband has died and I have no son.
They say about you that you have many sons.
You might give me one of your sons to become my husband.
I would not wish to take one of my subjects as a husband... I am
afraid."
-
The Hittite King sent one of his sons, Zannanza, as
requested but he was murdered during the journey... The desperate plan
of Ankhesenamun (Ankhesenpaaten) had failed. She was forced to marry Ay.
The marriage must have been a terrible time for Ankhesenamun
(Ankhesenpaaten). The name of Tey, the first wife of Ay, appears as the
Queen and Chief Wife in Ay's tomb there is no mention of Ankhesenamen.
-
The Year of Death of
Ankhesenamun (Ankhesenpaaten) is unknown but she probably died sometime
during the brief rule of Ay, between 1325 BC and 1321 BC. Did she
die from natural causes? Was it Murder? Was it Suicide? No tomb or
mummy has ever been found for Ankhesenamun (Ankhesenpaaten). Like her
husband, Tutankhamun her death
remains a mystery...
Ankhesenpaaten
Each section of this Ankhesenpaaten website addresses all topics and
provides interesting facts and information about the Golden Age of
Pharaohs and of Egypt. The Sitemap provides full details
of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject
of the Pharaoh Ankhesenpaaten - Tutankhamun!
|
