Meritaton

queen of Egypt

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June 30, 2026

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Meritaton was a queen of ancient Egypt during the 18th dynasty, reigning around 1353–1336 BCE. She was the eldest daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. Meritaton played a role in the religious reforms initiated by her father, which centered on the worship of the sun disk, Aton. She is depicted in reliefs alongside her father and mother, participating in religious ceremonies. There is evidence suggesting she may have married her father, Akhenaten, and possibly later married her half-brother, Tutankhamun, or his successor, Ay, though historical records are not definitive on these points. Her reign occurred during the Amarna Period, a time of significant religious and artistic change in Egypt.12

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Anatolia
The Hittite empire to c. 1180 bce
Alternatively, she may have been Meritaton, daughter of Akhenaton and widow of his successor Smenkhkare. Shortly afterward Suppiluliumas himself died of a pestilence. His eldest son and successor, Arnuwandas II, also died, and the throne descended to the young and inexperienced Mursilis II.
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Alternatively, she may have been Meritaton, daughter of Akhenaton and widow of his successor Smenkhkare. Shortly afterward Suppiluliumas himself died of a pestilence. His eldest son and successor, Arnuwandas II, also died, and the throne descended to the young and inexperienced Mursilis II.
Read More