Editing Nefertari (section)

== Biography ==
[[Image:NefertariOfferingToHathor.JPG|thumb|upright|Nefertari depicted offering [[sistrum]]s to Hathor in her smaller temple of [[Abu Simbel]]]]
Nefertari first appears as the wife of [[Ramesses II]] in official scenes during the first year of Ramesses II. In the tomb of [[Nebwenenef]], Nefertari is depicted behind her husband as he elevates [[Nebwenenef]] to the position of [[High Priests of Amun]] during a visit to [[Abydos, Egypt|Abydos]].<ref name="KitchenRI-3">Kitchen, Kenneth A. ''Ramesside Inscriptions, Translated and Annotated Translations: Ramesses II, His Contemporaries'' (Ramesside Inscriptions Translations) (Volume III) Wiley-Blackwell. 2001 {{ISBN|978-0-631-18428-7}} {{page needed|date=February 2017}}</ref> Nefertari also appears in a scene next to a year 1 stela. She is depicted shaking two [[Sistrum|sistra]] before [[Taweret]], [[Thoth]], and [[Nut (goddess)|Nut]].<ref name="KitchenRI-2">Kitchen, K.A., ''Ramesside Inscriptions, Translated & Annotated, Translations'', Volume II, Blackwell Publishers, 1996 {{page needed|date=February 2017}}</ref>

Nefertari is an important presence in the scenes from [[Thebes, Egypt|Luxor]] and [[Thebes, Egypt|Karnak]]. In a scene from Luxor, Nefertari appears leading the royal children. Another scene shows Nefertari at the Festival of the Mast of [[Amun]]-[[Min (god)|Min]]-Kamephis. The king and the queen are said to worship in the new temple and are shown overseeing the Erection of the Mast before Amen-Re attended by standard bearers. Nefertari's speech during this ceremony is recorded: 
<blockquote>Your beloved son, the Lord of Both Lands, Usermaatre Setepenre, has come to see you in your beautiful manifestation. He has erected for you the mast of the (pavilion)-framework. May you grant him eternity as King, and victory over those rebellious (against) His Majesty, L.P.H.<ref name="KitchenRI-2"/> </blockquote>

Nefertari appears as Ramesses II's consort on many statues in both Luxor and Karnak. In Western Thebes, Nefertari is mentioned on a statuary group from Deir el-Bahari, a stela and blocks from Deir el-Medina.<ref name="KitchenRI-2"/>

The greatest honor was bestowed on Nefertari however in [[Abu Simbel]]. Nefertari is depicted in statue form at the [[Abu Simbel temples|great temple]], but the [[Abu Simbel temples#The Small Temple|small temple]] is dedicated to Nefertari and the goddess [[Hathor]]. The building project was started earlier in the reign of [[Ramesses II]], and seems to have been inaugurated by ca year 25 of his reign (but not completed until ten years later).<ref name="Kitchen-PT"/>

Nefertari's prominence at court is further supported by [[Cuneiform script|cuneiform]] tablets from the [[Hittites|Hittite]] city of [[Hattusas]] (today [[Boğazkale|Boghazkoy]], [[Turkey]]), containing Nefertari's correspondence with the king [[Hattusili III]] and his wife [[Puduhepa]]. She is mentioned in the letters as ''Naptera.'' Nefertari is known to have sent gifts to Puduhepa:

<blockquote>The great Queen Naptera of the land of Egypt speaks thus: Speak to my sister Puduhepa, the Great Queen of the Hatti land. I, your sister, (also) be well!! May your country be well. Now, I have learned that you, my sister, have written to me asking after my health. ... You have written to me because of the good friendship and brotherly relationship between your brother, the king of Egypt, The Great and the Storm god will bring about peace, and he will make the brotherly relationship between the Egptian king, the Great King, and his brother, the Hatti King, the Great King, last for ever... See, I have sent you a gift, in order to greet you, my sister... for your neck (a necklace) of pure gold, composed of 12 bands and weighing 88 shekels, coloured linen maklalu-material, for one royal dress for the king... A total of 12 linen garments.<ref name="TyldesleyQueens"/><ref name="Kitchen-PT"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.atamanhotel.com/hattusilis-a141.html |title=WEIDNER 1917, 78; FRIEDRICH 1925, 23; Ün 1989, 3-6 , via |access-date=2010-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523053731/http://www.atamanhotel.com/hattusilis-a141.html |archive-date=2010-05-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  
</blockquote>

Nefertari is shown at the inaugural festivities at Abu Simbel in year 24. Her daughter [[Meritamen]] is depicted taking part in place of her mother in some of the scenes. Nefertari may well have been in failing health at this point. After her death she was buried in [[Tomb of Nefertari|tomb QV66]] in the [[Valley of the Queens]].<ref name="Kitchen-PT"/><ref name="KitchenRI-2"/>