The Most Powerful Egyptian Female Pharaoh You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
No, it wasn’t Cleopatra or Nefertiti.
Who is the most powerful female figure that comes to your mind when you think of ancient Egypt?
Maybe the first name that props up is Cleopatra. There is no doubt Cleopatra was an important ruler loved by her people and respected by her enemies. Today, we know she was a smart woman, even though ancient historians didn’t have nice things to say about her.
But she is far from being the most powerful.
Isn’t Nefertiti a possibility? Her bust is the most well-known female figure from ancient Egypt. A new theory says that she may even have been a Pharaoh.
Nefertiti was a strong woman, yet their people despised her and her husband, Akhenaten. This is because they changed the religion of ancient Egypt from a polytheistic pantheon to a monotheistic one, with Aten being the sole god.
There was one queen of the Nile whose powers were greater than those of Cleopatra and Nefertiti.
She ruled not as a queen but as a Pharaoh. She had statues built, depicting her with a beard in a man’s outfit. Her reign laid the foundation for the rise of the Egyptian Empire.
