Many will agree that there is no more history in history. famous woman than Cleopatra. The world knew many great rulers, wise and cruel, fatal beauties, famous actresses, legendary athletes and representatives of the art world. But the Queen of Ancient Egypt Cleopatra eclipsed everyone. She was exceptional - the last of the rulers great country, located along the banks of the Nile, a woman of amazing beauty and charm.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt (brief biography and description of appearance) is the focus of this article.

Pedigree

The great ruler belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, founded by one of the commanders of Alexander the Great. There is very little information about the birth and childhood of Cleopatra. It is known that she was one of the daughters of the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy XII Auletes. The sources of those years say that the king had only one legitimate daughter, Berenice. Most likely, Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt in the future, was born in 69 BC. e. from Ptolemy's concubine. However, the king himself was also illegitimate.

The rule of the dynasty was never calm due to the constant struggle for power. Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose biography holds many secrets, in her childhood witnessed the expulsion from her father's country. Her sister Berenice becomes the ruler of Egypt. When, with the help of the Roman consul Gabinius, Ptolemy returned to his homeland, he began repressions against those who contributed to his removal from power. The first victim of his wrath was Berenice.

Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt, learned her lesson from what had happened. In the future, she tried to eliminate all obstacles in her path in the face of possible rivals. Blood ties did not stop her either: the death of one of the queen's co-ruler brothers, according to researchers, was the work of her hands.

Beginning of the reign

Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, came to power legally in 51 BC. e. She, along with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII, were proclaimed the heirs of Ptolemy Auletes, according to the latter's will. She was about 17-18 years old, and the boy was even less - about 9. The young queen had to learn the basics of government and diplomacy alone. At first, she managed to remove her younger brother from leadership of the state, but he managed to neutralize her older sister. Cleopatra was removed from the throne and expelled from the country. The power in the palace was concentrated in the hands of the eunuch Potinus, the commander-in-chief of Achilles and the teacher of the young king Theodatus.

The young queen did not reconcile herself and began to gather an army against her brother. Ptolemy, having learned about this, went out with an army to meet him in order to block Cleopatra's path to the country.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, and Caesar: the history of relations

While brother and sister fought for power in Egypt, a bloody civil war was going on in Rome, led by Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompey. The latter fled to Egypt, where he intended to enlist the help of Ptolemy, whose father owed the throne to a Roman senator. The young king's advisers decided that helping Pompey would aggravate Egypt's plight. He was sent a friendly letter with a promise of support. In fact, it was decided after the landing of Pompey to kill him. People from the inner circle of the young king took part in this act of terrible perfidy, and he watched the murder of the Roman, standing on the shore. By committing this atrocity, Ptolemy with his temporary workers wanted to show Caesar his devotion. Theodates presented the head of a Roman senator and his ring to Gaius Julius when he arrived in Alexandria a few days later. According to ancient historians, the great commander did not approve of what was done to his enemy.

Caesar ordered Cleopatra and Ptolemy to disband their armies and come to him for trial. It was not possible for the queen to enter the palace without fear of being killed by enemies. Then she went to the trick. A man devoted to her carried her to Caesar's chambers in a linen bag. Later, the meeting of Cleopatra and the great commander will be embellished, and the unromantic bag will be replaced with a carpet.

Caesar was fascinated by the young queen, and soon a relationship began between them. Despite Ptolemy's opposition, he declared him and Cleopatra co-rulers, reminding the Alexandrians of their father's will. The eunuch Potin was not going to lose power so easily. From the moment Caesar arrived in Alexandria, he turned the people against the Romans. He managed to raise an uprising. The Egyptian army, numbering 20 thousand soldiers, moved on Caesar's palace. This war was called the Alexandrian. The Roman commander had to fight at the head of a small army in the narrow streets of the city. He could not return to the ships - it was not possible to break away from the Alexandrians who were attacking the Romans. Then Caesar ordered to burn the enemy fleet in order to open the way for his army by sea. He could only hope for his legions, hurrying to help from Syria. When they finally arrived, Ptolemy was killed in the ensuing battle. How exactly this happened is unknown. The participants in the battle saw that the boat on which the young king tried to escape was overloaded and capsized.

So Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose biography is unusually fascinating, became the sole ruler. She married her second brother, Ptolemy XIV, because, according to the law of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a woman could not rule. But in fact, all power in the country was concentrated in her hands.

After Caesar left for Rome, she bore him a son, Ptolemy Caesar. Great commander did not forget the charming queen and after a while summoned her and her brother to the capital. They settled Cleopatra in one of Caesar's villas. Their relationship irritated the Romans. Rumors that he was going to marry an Egyptian and move the capital to Alexandria, hastened the preparation of a conspiracy against him.

A month after the assassination of Caesar, Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, returned to her homeland. Shortly thereafter, her co-ruler, Ptolemy XIV, dies. Most likely, he was sent on her orders, after the birth of her son, she did not want to share power with anyone. The queen remembered well what had happened to her father.

Mark Anthony. A ten-year affair with a Roman consul

With the death of Caesar in Rome, the struggle for power began again. Cleopatra, as the sovereign queen of Egypt, used all her cunning and resourcefulness in this confrontation. Consul Mark Antony, who started a campaign against the Parthians in the East, was in dire need of money. He sends for the Egyptian queen, intending to accuse her of helping the assassins of Julius Caesar. Cleopatra, having learned from the arriving Roman officer about the habits and character of the consul, carefully prepared for the meeting. Knowing about his craving for luxury and vanity, she went to Anthony on a richly decorated ship. The queen dressed as Aphrodite, and the maids portrayed nymphs.

Inviting the consul to her place for dinner, she denied all accusations of treason. Anthony easily believed this, fascinated by the beauty and charm of the queen. Thus began one of the most famous romances in history. The relationship between Antony and Cleopatra lasted ten years. Now it is difficult to judge whether it was really big love. It is known for sure that the union was beneficial to both of them: the consul needed money, and Cleopatra needed a powerful patron. She gave birth to Antony three children, which speaks at least about the duration and stability of their relationship.

War with Octavian

Acquaintance with Cleopatra cost Antony at first political career and then life. Love for her proved fatal for the Roman consul. After meeting the queen, he was so fascinated by her that he went with Cleopatra to Alexandria. Here Antony spent the winter in entertainment and feasting. While he was idly passing time, Rome lost Syria and part of Asia Minor as a result of the advance of the Parthians. Only then did Antony leave the queen.

Over the following years, he fought the Parthians, and Cleopatra, thanks to his victories, practically restored the Ptolemaic empire. In Rome, dissatisfaction was ripening with the fact that Antony was moving further and further away from Roman traditions. Many saw a threat to Rome in the strong influence of Cleopatra on the consul. Octavian took advantage of this Foster-son Caesar. Antony was his rival in the struggle for power. Having learned from the defectors about the will of the consul, Octavian publicly announced it. In it, Antony declares the Egyptian queen his lawful wife and recognizes her children as his own. This news completely discredited the consul in the eyes of his compatriots. A war broke out between Rome and Egypt. In 31 BC. e. in the naval battle of Actium, Cleopatra, unable to withstand the tension, fled, leaving Antony's fleet without support. He followed his beloved, and the ground forces, left without command, surrendered.

The death of the queen

All year after that, Cleopatra and Antony spent time in feasts, doing nothing against Octavian. He in the spring of 30 BC. e. already under the walls of Alexandria. On August 1, Antony was informed that the queen had committed suicide. The consul, in despair at this news, tried to stab himself with a sword, but only inflicted a deep wound on himself. A few hours later, bleeding and dying, he was taken to the barricaded chambers of Cleopatra. On the evening of the same day, he died in her arms.

The queen tried to charm Octavian, as in her time Caesar and Antony. The future emperor of Rome came to her chambers, and she threw herself at his feet in one tunic, begging for mercy. However, the words of Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, as well as her feminine charms, did not impress Octavian. He just cheered her up and left. Later, the queen learned from a Roman officer that in a few days she would be transported around Rome during the triumph of Octavian. Cleopatra wrote a letter and ordered that it be delivered to the conqueror Antony. In it, she bequeathed to be buried with her husband. Octavian's people found the queen of Egypt and two servants dead on August 12, 30 BC. e. There is a legend that Cleopatra used a poisonous snake to commit suicide, which was carried to her chambers in a basket of figs. This version seems doubtful, since the snake is not able to bite three people at once. According to a second, more plausible legend, the queen poisoned herself and her maids with poison stored in a hollow hairpin.

Octavian fulfilled the will of Cleopatra - their bodies were embalmed with Antony and rested in the same grave.

Legends about the appearance of the famous ruler: historical truth or fiction?

Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose photo, of course, does not exist, was considered an amazing beauty for many centuries. How else could one explain the ease with which she won the hearts of the great generals, Caesar and Antony? But if you study Plutarch's information about her, you can be surprised to find out that her contemporaries did not consider her beauty at all. But at the same time, her charm was noted, very beautiful voice and mind. Cleopatra, no doubt, had charm and attracted men to her, even without being a bright charmer.

The few surviving depictions of the queen on coins and the marble bust from Shershell show a woman with wavy hair and aquiline nose. By modern standards, such an appearance is not considered incredibly beautiful, but rather ordinary.

Scientists have made attempts to reconstruct the appearance of the queen on the basis of existing images, but their reliability is highly questionable.

Egyptian ruler in art

The story of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, has inspired artists for thousands of years. In fiction, many works are devoted to her, the most famous of which are the tragedy of Shakespeare and the play by Bernard Shaw. But most of all, the image of the great ruler is represented in the visual arts.

A woman of amazing beauty and intelligence - such was Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt. Pictures dedicated to this amazing woman were painted by many famous painters. On each canvas, the queen is presented in the way that the artists painted her in their imagination.

In Michelangelo, she is depicted not with European, but rather with Negroid features. Eugene Delacroix depicted her sitting in thought.

In the painting “The Feast of Cleopatra” by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, the queen appears dressed in a dress of European cut (photo above). In a similar outfit, she can be seen on another canvas of the artist - "The Meeting of Anthony and Cleopatra."

But the most favorite motif in painting was the death of Cleopatra.

Actresses who played the role of the great ruler

Cinematography has contributed to the romanticization of the image of Cleopatra. More than 20 paintings are dedicated to her, in which the famous queen was played by the most beautiful actresses in the world. Among them were Vivien Leigh, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Monica Bellucci.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt - biography for children and younger students

The story of the last ruler of a great country on the banks of the Nile will be of interest to little history buffs. A short story about Cleopatra is suitable for them - to which dynasty she belonged, who patronized the queen and where her burial is now. The mystery of the tomb of the great ruler of the ancient world will be of interest to children who love everything unknown and unusual. Scientists do not know where Cleopatra and Antony were buried. If their burial is ever found, the significance of this discovery can only be compared with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Ancient Egypt- one of the centers of human civilization, which arose as early as the 4th millennium BC. and existed for more than 4 thousand years. At the head of this huge state was the pharaoh. It is assumed that it was a man, because even female the word "pharaoh" does not exist. And yet, there were periods when women took the reins of government in their hands, when powerful priests, military leaders, hardened palace intriguers bowed their heads to a woman and recognized her power over them. (website)

woman in ancient egypt

What has always amazed all travelers of antiquity in Egypt is the position of women in society. Egyptian women had rights that Greek and Roman women could not even dream of. Egyptian women were legally endowed with the right to property and inheritance, along with a man they could conduct commercial and production activities signed contracts and paid bills in their own name. We would say "recognized as full-fledged owners of small, medium and large businesses."

The Egyptians operated cargo ships, were teachers, scribes. Aristocrats became officials, judges, rulers of nomes (regions), and ambassadors. The only areas where the Egyptians were not allowed were medicine and the army. But this too is questionable. In the tomb of Queen Ahhotep, among other decorations, two orders of the Golden Fly were found - awards for outstanding services on the battlefield.

The wife of the pharaoh often became his adviser and closest assistant, along with him ruled the state. Therefore, it is not surprising that when the pharaoh died, the inconsolable widow took upon herself the burden of governing the state. History has preserved for us the names of several mistresses of Ancient Egypt.

Nitocris (c. 2200 BC)

She is Neitikert (Excellent Neith) ruled Egypt for twelve years. All these years, Beautiful Nate managed to keep the whole country in an iron bridle. Egypt did not know any rebellions or coups. Her death was a disaster for the country. Priests, courtiers, officials and the military began to tear each other in the struggle for the throne, and this went on for a century and a half (the First Intermediate Period).

Nefrusebek (c. 1763 - 1759 BC)

The name Nefrusebek meant "beauty of Sebek". (Sebek is a god with the head of a crocodile. Yes, the Egyptians had strange ideas about beauty.) The rules did not last long, no more than 4 years, but during this time she managed to become not only a pharaoh, but also a High Priestess, and supreme commander, to carry out a series of reforms and a victorious campaign in Nubia.

In order to pacify the regional aristocrats, she married one of the influential nomarchs (the ruler of the nome, i.e. the governor), but she kept the title of pharaoh for herself. The husband, deceived in his hopes, hired a killer and he killed the queen.

Subsequent events showed how right Nefrusebek was, not trusting her husband to rule the country. The new pretender to the title of pharaoh failed to retain power. For Egypt, an era of civil wars and upheavals began, which lasted about 250 years.

Hatshepsut (c. 1489-1468 BC)

Hatshepsut undoubtedly possessed both will and strong character. With a living male heir, she managed to seize the throne, declared herself pharaoh, took the name Maatkar and the priests crowned her as a man. During ceremonies, she often wore an artificial beard to really look like a male pharaoh. Both "male" and "female" images of Queen Hatshepsut have been preserved.

Hatshepsut. Female and male options

It is not clear how this masquerade was perceived by the nobles and the people, but Hatshepsut achieved absolute power, which many male pharaohs did not have, and became the greatest female ruler in the history of Ancient Egypt.

Her reign marked a golden age for Egypt. Agriculture developed, the queen distributed land to peasants for free and issued loans for the purchase of slaves. Abandoned cities were restored. She organized a research expedition to the country of Punt (present-day Somalia).

Hatshepsut. pharaoh woman

She conducted several successful military campaigns, led one campaign (to Nubia) herself, i.e. also showed herself as a military leader. The funeral temple built by her order Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut is the pearl of Egypt along with the pyramids and is under the protection of UNESCO.

Unlike other queens, Hatshepsut was able to create a mechanism for succession, and after her death, the title and throne were safely accepted by Thutmose III. This time, Egypt did without cataclysms, which once again proves that Hatshepsut had a state mindset.

Tausert (c. 1194-1192)

Tausert was the wife of Pharaoh Seti II. The marriage was childless. When Seti died, the power was seized by the bastard son of Seti, Ramesses-Saptahu, behind whom stood the keeper of the seal eminence grise Egyptian Bai. However, after 5 years of the reign of the new pharaoh, Bai was accused of corruption and executed, and a year later, Ramses-Saptahu himself died of an incomprehensible illness. As you can see, Tausert was a resolute woman and did not suffer from excessive sentimentality.

According to one data, she ruled for 2, according to others for 7 years, but these years were not calm for Egypt. The country began a civil war. Tausert died for unknown reasons, but civil war it didn't stop. Her successor, Pharaoh Setnakht, with great difficulty brought order to the country and resolved another political crisis in the country.

Cleopatra (47-30 BC)

The famous queen can be called a pharaoh with a big stretch. Egypt was Hellenized and bore little resemblance ancient country. The reign of Cleopatra cannot be called successful. Egypt was a semi-colony of Rome, the legionaries rampaged in the country and ended in a war with Rome, which Cleopatra lost. Egypt lost the remnants of even a ghostly independence and became part of the Roman Empire. Thus, Cleopatra became not only the last female pharaoh in the history of Egypt, but in general the last Egyptian pharaoh.

The history of the Egyptian pharaohs and Ancient Egypt in general is fascinating and mysterious. And the deeds of the great Egyptian rulers are truly grandiose. This time is the time of great campaigns and large-scale structures that glorified the ancient Egyptian culture for millennia and became an example and basis for the innovative ideas of our time.

A bit about dynasties

The term "dynasty" itself was used by the Greeks in relation to the rulers of United Egypt. In total, there are 31 dynasties of Egyptian pharaohs for all periods of the existence of the state to the Greco-Roman. They do not have names, but are numbered.

  • In the Early Dynastic period, there are 7 rulers of the 1st dynasty, 5 - of the 2nd.
  • In the Ancient Egyptian kingdom - 5 pharaohs of the 3rd dynasty, 6 - 4th, 8 - 5th, 4 - 6th.
  • In the First Intermediate Period, there were 23 representatives in the 7th-8th dynasties, and 3 in the 9th-10th. In the 11th - 3, in the 12th - 8.
  • In the Second Transitional in the dynastic list of Egyptian pharaohs, 39 are listed, which are part of the 13th, 11 - 14th, 4 - 15th, 20 - 16th, 14 - 17th.
  • The period of the New Kingdom was opened by one of the most famous dynasties- 18th, in the list of which there are 14 pharaohs, of which one is a woman. In the 19th - 8. In the 20th - 10.
  • In the Third Intermediate Period, the 21st dynasty included 8 pharaohs, the 22nd - 10, the 23rd - 3, the 24th - 2, the 25th - 5, the 26th - 6, the 27 th - 5, in the 28th - 1, in the 29th - 4, in the 30th - 3.
  • The second Persian period has only 4 pharaohs of the 31st dynasty.

In the Greco-Roman period, proteges of Alexander the Great, and then the Roman emperor, settled at the head of the state. In the Hellenistic period after Macedon, Philip Archeraus and Alexander IV, these were Ptolemy and his descendants, and among the ruling persons there were women (for example, Berenice and Cleopatra). In the Roman period, these are all Roman emperors from Augustus to Licinius.

Woman Pharaoh: Queen Hatshepsut

Full name this female pharaoh is Maatkara Hatshepsut Henmetamon, which means "The Best of the Noble". Her father was the famous pharaoh of the XVIII dynasty Thutmose I, and her mother was Queen Ahmes. She was high priestess the sun god Amon-Ra. Of all the Egyptian queens, only she managed to become the ruler of United Egypt.

Hatshepsut claimed that she was the daughter of the god Ra himself, which is a bit like the story of the birth of Jesus: Amon told the assembly of the gods, though not through his messenger, but personally, that he would soon have a daughter who would become the new ruler of the entire land of Ta Kemet. And in her reign, the state will flourish and rise even more. As a sign of recognition of this, during the reign of Hatshepsut, she was often depicted in the guise of a descendant of Amon-Ra Osiris - the god of fertility and the ruler of the Underworld Duat - with a false beard and the key to the Nile - the key of life ankh, with royal regalia.

The reign of Queen Hatshepsut was glorified by her beloved architect Senmut, who built the famous temple in Deir el-Bahri, which is known in world history as Jeser-Jeseru ("Holy of Holies"). The temple is different from the famous temples in Luxor and Karnak during the reigns of Amenhotep III and Ramses II. It belongs to the type of semi-rock temples. It is in its reliefs that such important cultural undertakings of the queen as a sea expedition to the distant country of Punt are immortalized, under which, many believe, India is hiding.

Also, Queen Hatshepsut paid special attention to the construction of grandiose architectural monuments in the state: she restored many buildings and monuments destroyed by the conquerors - the Hyksos tribes, erected the Red Sanctuary in the temple of Karnak and two pink marble obelisks in its complex.

The fate of the stepson of Queen Hatshepsut, the son of Pharaoh Thutmose II, and the concubine of Isis Thutmose III is interesting. Being in the shadow of his stepmother for almost twenty years, who created humiliating conditions for him to exist, after her death, Thutmose dramatically changed the policy of the state, and tried to completely destroy everything that was connected with Hatshepsut. In this case, a parallel arises with the accession to the Russian throne of Emperor Paul I and the memory of his mother, Empress Catherine II.

Thutmose's hatred extended to the buildings that now form the world's cultural fund. First of all we are talking about the temple in Deir el-Bahri, in which, by the decree of Thutmose III, all sculptural images bearing a portrait resemblance to Hatshepsut were barbarously destroyed, hieroglyphs were chipped off, perpetuating her name. It is important! Indeed, according to the ideas of the ancient Egyptians, the name of a person (“ren”) is a pass for him to the fields of Eternity Ialu.

In relation to the life of the state, first of all, the interests of Thutmose were directed not to peace and tranquility in their native Egypt, but, on the contrary, to war for increase and multiplication. For his reign as a result a large number In the wars of conquest, the young pharaoh achieved an unprecedented achievement: he not only expanded the borders of Ancient Egypt at the expense of the states of Mesopotamia and his neighbors, but also forced them to pay huge tribute, making his state the most powerful and richest among others in the East.

One of the amazing corners of St. Petersburg is associated with the name of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III - the pier at the Academy of Arts on the University embankment of Vasilyevsky Island. In 1834, sculptures of sphinxes brought from Ancient Egypt were installed on it, whose faces, according to legend, have a portrait resemblance to this pharaoh. They were found by the Greek archaeologist Attanazi with funds provided to him by the English consul in Egypt, Salt. After the excavations, Salt became the owner of the giants, who put them up for auction in Alexandria. Writer Andrey Nikolaevich Muravyov wrote a letter about valuable sculptures, but while the issue of acquiring sphinxes in Russia was being decided, they were bought by France, and only by chance did they end up in St. Petersburg. This happened because of the revolution that began in France. The French government began to sell sculptures that had not been exported at a large markdown, and it was then that Russia was able to purchase them on much more favorable terms than before.

Who is Pharaoh Amenhotep III, whom these sculptures serve as a reminder to this day? It is known that he was a special zealot of art and culture, and raised the status of the state in the international arena to an unprecedented height, incomparable even with the era of the reign of Thutmose III. Pharaoh Amenhotep III had a special influence on the activities of his energetic and intelligent wife, Tiya. She was from Nubia. Perhaps thanks to her, the reign of Amenhotep III brought peace and tranquility to Egypt. But one cannot keep silent about several military campaigns that nevertheless took place during the years of his rule: against the country of Kush, against the state of Uneshei, as well as the suppression of rebels in the region of the second Nile threshold. All descriptions of his military prowess point to high level possession of military science.

Ramses II: political decisions

The reign of this couple is highly controversial. On the one hand, wars with the Hittites for power over Palestine, Phenicia and Syria, skirmishes with sea pirates - Sherdens, military campaigns in Nubia and Libya, on the other hand - large-scale stone construction of temples and tombs. But one thing is common - ruin due to exorbitant taxes in favor of the royal treasury of the working population of the state. At the same time, the nobility and the priests, on the contrary, had the opportunity to increase their material wealth. Increased spending from the treasury and the fact that the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II attracted mercenaries to his army.

From the point of view of the internal policy of Ramses II, it should be noted that the time of his reign was the time of the next rise of Ancient Egypt. Realizing the need to be constantly in the north of the state, the pharaoh moves the capital from Memphis to new town- Per Ramesses in the Nile Delta. As a result, the power of the aristocracy was weakened, which, however, did not affect the strengthening of the power of the priests.

Ramses II and his "stone" activities

The unusually fruitful temple architecture of the reign of Ramses II is associated primarily with the construction of such famous temples as the Big and Small Abu Simbel in Abydos and Thebes, extensions to the temples in Luxor and Karnak, the temple in Edfu.

The temple in Abu Simbel, consisting of two rock-type temples, was built in the place of the Nile, where the famous Aswan Dam will be built in the 20th century together with the USSR. Nearby, the quarries of Aswan made it possible to decorate the portals of the temples with giant statues of the pharaoh and his wife, as well as images of the gods. The large temple was dedicated to Ramses himself and to three other gods - Amun, Ra-Horakhta and Ptah. It was these three gods that were carved in sculptures and placed in the sanctuary of the rock temple. The entrance to the temple was decorated with seated stone giants - statues of Ramses II - three on each side.

The small temple was dedicated to Nefertari-Merenmut and the goddess Hathor. Decorated at the entrance standing in full height figures of Ramses II and his wife, alternating four on each side of the entrance. In addition, the Small Temple at Abu Simbel was also considered as the tomb of Nefertari.

Amenemhat III and the Hermitage Collection

There is a black basalt sculpture in the Hermitage exhibition in St. Petersburg, depicting this pharaoh sitting in a canonical pose. Thanks to well-preserved writings, we learn that Amenemhat III is the ruler of the Middle Kingdom, who devoted a lot of time and effort to the construction of the most beautiful temples. First of all, they should include the labyrinth temple in the area of ​​the Fayum oasis.

Thanks to the wise domestic politics Amenemhat III managed to greatly reduce the influence of the rulers of individual nomes - the nomarchs and unite them, establishing the Middle Kingdom. This pharaoh almost did not undertake military campaigns in order to expand the borders. An exception may be the war in Nubia and military campaigns in Asian countries, as a result of which they were discovered. Among them was Syria.

The main activity of Amenemhat III is the construction and improvement of the life of the colonies. Thanks to this, colonies were created on the Sinai Peninsula, rich in copper mines, which were developed for the Middle Kingdom of Amenemhat III. Turquoise deposits were also developed here. Large-scale work was also carried out on the irrigation of lands in the area of ​​the Fayum oasis. An embankment was erected, thanks to which the drained soils in a large area of ​​the oasis became available for agriculture. In the same territories, Amenemhet III founded the city of the god Sebek - Krokodilopol.

Akhenaten the Reformer and Queen Nefertiti

Among the names of the great Egyptian pharaohs, the name of Amenhotep IV, or Akhenaten, stands out. The son of Amenhotep III was considered a heretic - having changed his father's faith, he believed in the god Aten, embodied in the solar disk and depicted on reliefs in the form of a solar multi-armed disk. The name given by the father and meaning "Devoted to Amon", he changed to one that meant "Pleasant to the Aton."

And he transferred the capital to a new city, called Aton-per-Ahetaton, in the region of Egypt, El-Amarna. This decision was made in connection with the strongly strengthened power of the priests, who actually replaced the power of the pharaoh. The reformist ideas of Akhenaten also touched art: for the first time in reliefs and frescoes of tombs and temples, they began to depict romantic relationship Pharaoh and his wife - Queen Nefertiti. Moreover, according to the features of the image, they no longer resembled the canonical ones, rather, they could be called the forerunners of naturalistic painting.

Cleopatra - Queen of Egypt

Among all the Egyptian pharaohs and queens, Cleopatra is perhaps the most famous. In world history, she is often called both the fatal and the Egyptian Aphrodite. She was the heiress of the great dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs from the Macedonian family of Ptolemies, appointed to this position by Alexander the Great. Cleopatra - the wife of Mark Antony and mistress of Julius Caesar - was the last queen of Egypt during the Hellenistic period. She was highly educated, musically gifted, knew eight foreign languages and enjoyed visiting the Library of Alexandria, participating in philosophical discussions pundits. The personality of Cleopatra causes many fantasies and legends, but there is very little actual information about her contribution to the development of Egypt. Until now, she remains the most mysterious and mysterious of all the rulers of the Egyptian land.

The list of Egyptian pharaohs could be continued, because among them there were still persons worthy of a separate discussion. The history of Egypt attracts the constant attention of people of different generations, and interest in it does not dry out.

NEFERTITI(1351 BC - 1334 BC)

The Egyptian Queen Nefertiti has become a real symbol of female beauty and power. Neither the rulers of the past nor the tyrants of the present could resist her. Even Adolf Hitler fell under her spell. After all, it was he who in 1935 forbade the export of the famous bust of the queen from Germany back to Egypt. Although such agreements have already been reached. Many mysteries are connected with this ancient beauty. Even her name is a mystery. Some historians argue about its origin, while other researchers are surprised how a woman three thousand years ago could be equal in status to the pharaoh, and maybe even rule instead of him.

Nefertiti was the main wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. The ancient Egyptian legend about her says that a girl of such amazing beauty has never been born on the banks of the Nile. The courtiers called her "Perfect", and statues with her image were installed in temples throughout the country. True, some historians doubt the Egyptian origin of the queen. Her very name literally translates as "Beauty has come." Does this mean that Nefertiti was a foreigner? Researchers put forward the theory that she could be a princess from Mitanni, this is on the territory of modern Syria. And as a child, together with her sister, she ended up in Egypt as a guarantee of peace between the two states.

Nefertiti married Akhenaten, this pharaoh is considered a religious reformer, he is called a heretic. He abandoned the old pantheon of Egyptian gods and created new faith where everyone had to worship only one god, the sun god Aton. And he made his beloved wife, Nefertiti, the main priestess.

Artists depicted Nefertiti on a par with Akhenaten. According to the researchers, this unique example in the history of ancient Egypt. The figures of wives have always been many times smaller than their crowned spouses. But what could it be connected with? Some historians find a simple answer. Akhenaten loved Nefertiti very much. The pharaoh and the queen were often depicted with their children in an idyllic family scene.

But could Nefertiti not only be a beloved wife and chief priestess, but also have political power? Some experts are convinced of this. Scholars have already proven that Akhenaten had a co-ruler, a certain Neferneferuaten. Historians believe that Neferneferuaten and Nefertiti are one and the same person. So does this mean that the queen ruled the country? But how could this happen? Many Egyptologists suggest that Akhenaten was seriously ill. If you look at his statues, it may seem that his face is as if deformed, and the figure is too feminine. Some experts believe that these are signs of illness. It is believed that the ruler was practically blind and consulted in everything with his wife. This made Nefertiti the most powerful woman of the era.

But at one point, all information about Nefertiti disappeared, until now, scientists do not even know where her burial is. But the whole world admires the tomb of another great Egyptian queen.

NEFERTARI(1290 BC - 1255 BC)

Nefertari was the main wife of the great Ramses II. The pharaoh built a real palace for her for the afterlife. Modern scientists are amazed by the beauty and brightness of wall paintings and bas-reliefs, which are made with amazing skill. Of all the found ancient Egyptian tombs, this one is considered the most luxurious.

The name Nefertari translates as "beautiful". And during her lifetime she was the most desired woman Egypt. Historians admire her art of seduction, which she mastered to perfection. The fact is that 20 wives of the ruler and another thousand concubines fought for the title of the main wife of the pharaoh. Nefertari needed to stand out from all these women. According to the researchers, in order to attract the attention of her husband, the queen used cosmetics more than the rest. Dark eyeliners, bright eye shadows, lipstick and blush - all this was in her arsenal. She also smeared her body and wigs with floral oils. Archaeologists note that Nefertari is almost always depicted in translucent clothes, through which the skin is visible.

Ramses II built two shrines at Abu Simbel, for himself and for his chief wife, Nefertari. Modern architects and archaeologists are amazed not only by the size of the buildings with 20-meter statues and huge halls carved into the rock, but also by the fact that on the facade of the temple of Nefertari the statues of the queen are of the same height as the images of the pharaoh. This is a real proof of Ramses II's love for his wife.

HATSHEPSUT(1490/1489-1468 BC, 1479-1458 BC or 1504-1482 BC)

Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut, this woman is considered one of the greatest rulers of the country of the pyramids. In the valley of the dead, she built a complex - the mortuary temple of Deir el-Bahri. Majestic columns, giant terraces, geometric harmony - all this is amazing even now. And thousands of years ago, gardens with fountains were spread around the complex, and an alley of sphinxes led to the main entrance. Hatshepsut liked this afterlife palace so much that she ordered the execution of the architect so that he could no longer repeat his masterpiece. By the way, his tomb is located here.

Hatshepsut was the daughter of the king, the wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II, but this was not enough for her. And after the death of her husband, with the help of a conspiracy of priests, she became the regent of her stepson - a minor heir, and then completely sent the boy out of the capital. It is known that the queen officially took the male title of pharaoh, wore men's clothes and a false beard, and the sculptors mostly depicted her as a king.

Hatshepsut went down in history as a builder queen. No pharaoh built so much before her. Her legacy can only be compared with the exploits of Ramses the Great.

Before today preserved obelisks installed in the center of the Karnak temple complex. Their height is 30 meters, with a modern 10-storey building, and they weigh 120 tons. Hatshepsut built shrines throughout the country. She also personally led one of the two military campaigns in Nubia. The queen controlled the Sinai Peninsula, the Phoenician coast, southern Syria and Palestine. In addition, the first expedition to the country of Punt was organized under her and trade relations were established. Prior to this, Egypt had not traded with anyone.

Hatshepsut ruled before the advent of Nefertiti and Nefertari and was the first female ruler of ancient Egypt. And the last queen of the country of the pyramids was Cleopatra.

CLEOPATRA(69-30 BC)

Perhaps the most famous Egyptian queen is Cleopatra. She was a goddess for her subjects, the generals gave her whole countries, and her husbands were the most powerful men of antiquity. For 2,000 years, legends about Cleopatra's beauty, power and intelligence have captured the imagination.

In modern Turkey, the ruins of the ancient ancient city of Hieropolis have been preserved. Thousands of tourists come here every year to admire the preserved relics. But many people go to these places not to admire the amphitheaters and mausoleums, but to swim in Cleopatra's pool.

Its mineral water rises up from a crack in the rock. It is believed that if you swim in this pool every day, you can rejuvenate and acquire the beauty of the famous Egyptian queen. But this is just a legend. In fact, Cleopatra has never been to these places, and modern scientists are increasingly inclined to believe that the appearance of the Princess of the Nile was far from ideal, and it was impossible to call her a classic beauty.

True, there are no lifetime images of Cleopatra left. Her appearance can be judged by the coins she issued. On each of them her profile. Images vary, but researchers highlight common features: this big eyes, strongly protruding nose with a hump, strong-willed chin. You can't call this woman a beauty. Then how was Cleopatra able to charm Caesar himself? Many experts are inclined to believe that the queen subdued the dictator with the help of her mind and determination. She received an excellent education, spoke 9 languages ​​and could argue with any philosopher.

At 21, with the help of Caesar, Cleopatra was able to overthrow her younger brother from the throne and take the throne. According to historians, she was a competent queen and tried to win the love of the people. Few people know that Cleopatra was a foreigner. Her Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt for only 300 years and had Greek roots. The inhabitants of the country of the pyramids considered her a foreigner. To remedy this, young Cleopatra learned the Egyptian language, by the way, the first of her kind, and also took part in the most important religious rituals.

After Caesar's death, a struggle for power began in Rome between Caesar's nephew Octavian and the military commander Mark Antony. The latter turned to Cleopatra for support and also could not resist her charms. Experts note that this time the queen improved her system of seduction. It was an accurate calculation, because she herself needed the protection of a Roman general. According to researchers, Cleopatra deliberately demonstrated her wealth and arranged luxurious receptions for Antony on the ship. Exotic dishes, wine, musicians and dancers - all this could turn a man's head. But historians believe that the main criterion could be the origin of the mistress herself. The Romans, like the Egyptians, believed in pagan gods, and Cleopatra for the Egyptians was a real goddess mysterious country even then with a thousand-year history. So, maybe Mark Antony really could not refuse the possession of the goddess.

Antony and Cleopatra began to rule Egypt together, but could not resist the Roman army of Octavian for a long time and were defeated. According to some historians, Cleopatra also tried to seduce Octavian, but he remained indifferent to her. At that time, the queen was already 38 years old, and she was the mother of 4 children. According to legend, the famous ruler committed suicide by putting her hand in a basket with a viper. But modern researchers It is believed that Cleopatra took poison. Thus ended the thousand-year history of the famous Egyptian queens, who ruled on an equal footing with men, and whose names will forever be associated with deceit, beauty and power.

Powerful pharaohs, majestic pyramids, the silent Sphinx personify the distant and mysterious Ancient Egypt. Queen Nefertiti is no less mysterious and famous royal beauty of antiquity. Her name, covered with a halo of legends and fiction, has become a symbol of all that is beautiful. Who was exalted and identified with the most mysterious and "perfect" woman of Ancient Egypt, the mention of which at one moment disappeared, like herself?

The Egyptian Queen Nefertiti ruled together with Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, better known in history as Akhenaten, more than three millennia ago. The sands of time swallowed up that long period of history, turned everything that surrounded the queen into dust. But the glory of Nefertiti survived the centuries, extracted from non-existence, she again rules over the world.

In 1912, while in Egypt, Ludwig Borchardt, a German archaeologist, discovered the workshop of the sculptor Tutmes, which was clearly evidenced by accumulations of stones different breeds, plaster masks, unfinished statues, a fragment of a casket with the name of the sculptor Akhetaton. A life-size bust of a woman made of limestone was found in one of the rooms. Borchardt tricked him out of Egypt. In 1920, the bust was donated to Mysteries, and they tried to uncover mysteries about the life of the queen with the help of various hypotheses. We can say that since then her name has been covered with worldwide fame, which has not faded to this day. Interest in the fate of the queen also increased. Long time there were only a few mentions of it, not much information can be found even now.

There are many versions about the origin of Nefertiti. The meager information gleaned from the mentions on the walls of the tombs, the inscriptions on the cuneiform tablets of the Amarna archive, became the basis for the development of many versions about the origin of the queen. The "perfect", as she was called, was an Egyptian, but there are versions that claim that she was a foreign princess. Egyptologists have built several hypotheses about its origin. Some researchers believe that she is the daughter of Tushratta, the king of Mitanni. She changed her real name Taduhippa when she married Amenhotep III. Nefertiti became a widow early, and after the death of her husband, she was declared the wife of his son Amenhotep IV. Nefertiti conquered the young pharaoh with her incredible beauty. They said that beauty had not yet generated, soon she became the "main" wife of the ruler. This kind of confirmed the version of her Egyptian origin, because Egyptians of royal blood usually became. It is likely that this could be the daughter of the pharaoh. It was also assumed that Nefertiti was the daughter of one of Akhenaten's court associates.

The queen amazed not only her extraordinary beauty but also infinite mercy. She gave peace to people, her sunny soul was sung in poems and legends. She was easily given power over people, she was worshiped by Egypt. Queen Nefertiti had strong will and the ability to inspire awe.

Ancient Egyptian papyri, drawings, bas-reliefs testify that her marriage to Amenhotep IV was perfect, was a symbol of respect, love and cooperation. The omnipotent pharaoh went down in history as a religious reformer. He was an outstanding man who declared war on the caste of priests. He called himself Akhenaten, "pleasing to God", transferred the capital from Thebes to Akhetaton, raised new temples, crowned them with sculptural colossi of the new Aton-Ra. In carrying out this policy, the ruler needed a reliable ally, and Nefertiti became one. A smart and strong wife helped the pharaoh to refract the consciousness of the whole country and win in such dangerous war with the mysterious clergy who subjugated Egypt. Queen Nefertiti attended diplomatic receptions. Pharaoh consulted with his wife in public. Sometimes she replaced his high-ranking advisers. Nefertiti was worshiped, her majestic statues could be seen in almost every Egyptian city. Most often, she was depicted in a headdress, which was a high blue wig, which was entwined with gold ribbons and a uraeus, symbolically emphasizing her power and connection with the gods.

There were also envy and intrigue. But no one dared to openly oppose the wife of the ruler; rather, on the contrary, offerings and gifts of petitioners rained down on Nefertiti. However, the wise queen helped only those who, in her opinion, could justify and earn the trust of the pharaoh.

But fate, being the most unsurpassed director in a person's life, did not endlessly favor Nefertiti either. The gods did not grant her an heir to power. The queen only gave the pharaoh 6 daughters. It was then, not without the help of envious people, that a replacement for the reigning wife was found, power over the heart of the pharaoh passed to the beautiful concubine Kia. She did not manage to keep the pharaoh near her for a long time, and it was difficult for him to choose between two women. From the side of the former queen, a warm welcome always awaited him, but the ostentatious courtesy did not deceive the pharaoh. The former relationship between the strong-willed and proud Nefertiti and Akhenaten was no more. But she managed to keep power over him. There are versions that it was Nefertiti who, demonstrating her statesmanship, offered Ankhesenamon, their joint third daughter, as a wife to Akhenaten, according to other versions, it was eldest daughter Meritaton.

After the death of Akhenaten, their daughter was married to Tutankhamun, who moved the capital to Thebes. Egypt again began to worship Amun-ra and everything returned to normal. Only Nefertiti remained in Akhenaton, faithful to her husband's ideas. She spent the rest of her life in exile. After the death of the queen, at her request, she was buried in the tomb of Akhenaten, but her mummy was never found. And the exact place of her burial is unknown.

However, her name, meaning "The Beautiful One Has Come", is still the personification of all that is beautiful. A sculptural portrait of Queen Nefertiti, found in Amarna in 1912, as well as other subtle and poetic sketches created by Thutmes, the ancient master of Akhenaton, are kept in the museums of Berlin and Cairo. In 1995, a sensational exhibition was held in Berlin, uniting the Egyptian collection, the center of which was Nefertiti and Akhenaten who met again.

Nefertiti became one of the most famous characters history of art, the personification of grace and tenderness, who discovered the emotional side of art during the reign of Akhenaten. The charm of the most beautiful queen gave the artists an incredible opportunity to combine the beauty of art and life in one image.

The Queen of Ancient Egypt left behind many mysteries and secrets related to her life, which someone else has yet to reveal.