Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Who was Nefertari, the queen of Ramses II?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Ramses II
A larger-than-life Ramses II towering over his prisoners and clutching them by the hair. Limestone bas-relief from Memphis, Egypt, 1290–24 bce; in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
Nefertari was the favorite queen of Ramses II. While Ramses II had an immense family with numerous wives, he held Nefertari in particularly high regard.1
His devotion to her is evidenced by the significant honors he bestowed upon her, including the dedication of a temple at Abu Simbel in Nubia and the construction of a magnificent tomb for her in the Valley of the Queens. Her tomb is considered one of the most notable burial sites within that necropolis.12
It is important to distinguish Nefertari from Nefertiti, who was a different queen of Egypt and the wife of King Akhenaton during the 14th century BCE.34