Discover the Intriguing World of Nefertiti: Top 11 Fun Facts You Never Knew About Egypt's Iconic Queen

1. BFF with a 3,300-year-old Bust

Nefertiti's BFF (Bust Friend Forever) is actually a 3,300-year-old bouncing baby bust: Discovered in Thutmose's workshop in Amarna, Egypt in 1912, the Nefertiti Bust has traveled from Egypt to Germany and even been stashed in a salt mine during World War II before securing its spot as an admired ancient Egyptian artwork at Berlin's Neues Museum.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. OG Beauty Queen: Nefertiti

Move over, Beyoncé, there's an OG queen whose beauty was turning heads way before "Crazy in Love": Nefertiti's name means "The Beautiful One Has Come", and her allure is forever immortalized in a gold signet ring that was acquired by W.J. Loftie during his Egyptian escapades in the early 1880s.
Source => blog.nms.ac.uk

Did you know that King Tut had almost perfect teeth with no cavities or missing ones? However, he still dealt with wisdom teeth issues and an incomplete cleft palate. Discover more about his dental secrets!

=> Fun Facts about King-Tut

3. Ancient Fashion YouTuber

If Nefertiti was alive today, she'd totally have her own hair and fashion YouTube channel that would put everyone else to shame: This ancient Egyptian queen not only rocked a unique, eye-catching hairstyle and elegant outfits, but she played a major role in religious and artistic changes during her husband, Pharaoh Akhenaten's reign – specifically promoting the Aten as the state deity, and continues to puzzle modern Egyptologists with her mysterious disappearance after her hubby's demise.
Source => arce.org

4. Ankhesenpaaten's Name and Title Transformation

Talk about keeping it in the family: Nefertiti's daughter, Ankhesenpaaten, went from being a mouthful of a name to Ankhesenpaaten-tasherit, then snagged the title of Great Royal Wife by marrying her step-brother, King Tutankhamen, making her the last known royal to hold that title.
Source => mathstat.slu.edu

5. Nefertiti: Queen of Wig Snatchers

Nefertiti may have been the original "Queen of the Wig Snatchers", setting haute hair trends in Ancient Egypt with her enviable collection of Nubian wigs: Known for her fabulous hairstyles, Nefertiti popularized short, bushy wigs with rows of curls framing the face, a style reserved for royalty that even dictated gender portrayal in Egyptian art.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Tutankhamun's Mysterious Mommy Mystery

Solving the mother of all mysteries: While the tempting tale of Queen Nefertiti possibly moonlighting as the matriarch to the "Boy King" Tutankhamun might intrigue historians and hint at a soap opera-like ancient storyline, the proof for this parentage plot remains as elusive as Nefertiti's date at Cleopatra's dinner soirée.
Source => discovermagazine.com

7. Nefertiti Bust: Hot Ownership Potato

Talk about a never-ending game of hot potato: the iconic bust of Queen Nefertiti, unearthed in 1912 by a German archaeological team in Egypt, has spent over a century at the center of a heated ownership dispute between Germany and Egypt. After the controversial removal from Egypt in 1913 by Ludwig Borchardt, multiple attempts by Egypt to secure its return have been denied by Germany, keeping the ancient artifact on an indefinite European vacation.
Source => al-monitor.com

8. Repatriation Tug-of-War: Berlin vs Egypt

This ancient Egyptian beauty might just have a one-way ticket to Berlin, but it's not because she's a fan of bratwurst and lederhosen: Nefertiti's bust has been at the center of a repatriation tug-of-war between Egypt and Germany ever since it was displayed in the Neues Museum in 1924. Despite countless pleas from Egypt, the delicate artifact remains in Berlin due to concerns about its fragility and insufficient legal arguments.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Before Kardashians, there was Nefertiti

In a world where contouring and Kardashians reign supreme, one ancient Egyptian queen was turning heads way before highlighters were even invented: Nefertiti, married to Pharaoh Akhenaten and known for her famous bust discovered in 1912, rocked the beauty scene with her iconic headdresses and possible secret romance with fellow queen Anck-Su-Namun.
Source => killing-kurare.livejournal.com

10. MTV Cribs: Nefertiti's Solar Temple

If Nefertiti were on MTV Cribs, she'd show off her sun-filled palace and say, "Welcome to my solar temple, y'all!": This sassy ancient Egyptian queen was a member of the swanky Aten cult during her hubby Akhenaten's rule, and she was often portrayed with him and their daughters basking in the glow of the sun god Aten at a temple in Karnak.
Source => arce.org

11. Ancient Egypt's Power Couple: Nefertiti & Akhenaten

Talk about a power couple: Nefertiti and Akhenaten were basically the Jay-Z and Beyoncé of ancient Egypt! Give it up for this unstoppable duo: Nefertiti, known for her stunning beauty, was the Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten and they had six daughters together. She actively participated in Akhenaten's religious reforms, even worshiping the Aten side-by-side with him. However, much like a mysterious Hollywood disappearance, no one knows what became of her after the twelfth year of Akhenaten's reign.
Source => en.wikipedia.org