No one has ever figured out exactly where she came from. Some people think she was born in Egypt. Others believe she was a princess from a far-off land. But everyone agrees that Nefertiti was a mysterious, strong woman in the history of ancient Egypt.
When she was young, she married a powerful man, the Pharaoh Akenaten. He called her the ΓÇ£Mistress of Happiness.ΓÇ¥ Perhaps it was her shining intelligence and dark beauty that made Akenaten so in love with her. The pharaoh listened to Nefertiti when she spoke to him. She helped him govern the Egyptian people.
Under Nefertiti, Egypt changed a lot. The people used to worship many gods. But Nefertiti and the Pharaoh got them to respect only Aton, the sun god. Nefertiti became a high priest, a job only for men. They held grand ceremonies to Aton in giant temples. Nefertiti dressed up in the finest jewels. And she had special power: the people needed her and Akenaten for a full blessing of Aton to be made.
Together, Nefertiti and the Pharaoh had six daughters. According to history, the famous Pharaoh Tutankhamen also could have been one of Nefertiti's children.
During her life and after, many people made golden and precious works of art in honor of Nefertiti. The most famous is a painted sculpture of her, carved from limestone. It has preserved her beauty for us still to see.
