Summary
Nefertari was the first and best-loved Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II. Her name means “beautiful companion”, and Ramesses called her “the one for whom the sun shines”. She is the only queen to be honoured with a temple at Abu Simbel beside her husband’s, and her tomb in the Valley of the Queens, QV66, holds some of the finest paintings to survive from ancient Egypt.
Who Was Nefertari?
Little is known of Nefertari’s family; she may have come from a noble family of Thebes. She married Ramesses before he became king, around 1290 BC, and became his chief queen when he took the throne. She bore him several children, including his first-born son, Amunherkhepeshef, though none of her sons outlived their father to become king.
She took part in state ceremonies and religious festivals and appears beside the king in many temples. A letter she sent to Puduhepa, queen of the Hittites, survives on a clay tablet: after the peace treaty, the two queens wrote to each other as “sisters”.
The Small Temple at Abu Simbel
Next to Ramesses’ great temple at Abu Simbel stands a second rock-cut temple, dedicated to the goddess Hathor and to Nefertari. Its façade has six standing statues about 10 metres high: four of the king and two of the queen, and unusually, the statues of the queen are the same size as those of the king. Inside, Nefertari is shown being crowned by the goddesses Isis and Hathor.
The temples were inaugurated around the 24th year of Ramesses’ reign. Nefertari seems to have died soon afterwards, around 1255 BC, as she disappears from the records.
The Tomb of Nefertari (QV66)
Nefertari’s tomb was found in 1904 by the Italian archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli in the Valley of the Queens on Luxor’s West Bank. It had been robbed in antiquity, but its walls are covered with brilliantly coloured scenes: the queen playing the board game senet, making offerings to the gods, and being guided by Isis and Horus on her journey to the afterlife, under a ceiling painted with golden stars on a deep blue sky.
Salt in the rock had pushed much of the plaster off the walls. Between 1986 and 1992, the Getty Conservation Institute and the Egyptian antiquities service carried out a careful conservation, fixing the paint without repainting it. Because breath and humidity damage the paintings, visitor numbers and the time inside are limited.
Visiting the Tomb
- The tomb needs a separate ticket, sold at the Valley of the Queens. It is one of the most expensive tickets in Egypt, and visits are short, usually around ten minutes.
- Photography rules change; check on the day.
- Go early: the number of visitors per day is limited.
- Combine it with the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s temple and Deir el-Medina, the village of the craftsmen who painted the royal tombs.
Our Luxor West Bank tours can include the tomb of Nefertari, and our Nile cruises stop at Luxor.
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View This TripNefertari and Ramesses II
Ramesses wrote of her on the walls at Abu Simbel and Luxor in words of real affection. To understand her husband, his wars and his monuments, read our guide to Ramesses II and to the Egyptian pharaohs.
Keep Exploring Ancient Egypt
- Ramesses II
- The Egyptian pharaohs
- How the pyramids were built
- The Great Sphinx
- The Old Kingdom
- Ancient Egyptian gods
- Ancient Egyptian architecture
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Queen Nefertari FAQ
Who was Nefertari?
The first Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II, who ruled Egypt about 1279–1213 BC. Her name means "beautiful companion".
Is Nefertari the same as Nefertiti?
No. Nefertiti was the wife of Akhenaten, about 100 years earlier. Nefertari was the wife of Ramesses II.
Where is Nefertari's tomb?
In the Valley of the Queens on the West Bank of Luxor. It is tomb QV66.
Can you visit the tomb of Nefertari?
Yes, with a separate and expensive ticket and a short, timed visit to protect the paintings.
Why is there a temple for Nefertari at Abu Simbel?
Ramesses dedicated the smaller temple at Abu Simbel to Hathor and to Nefertari, an honour no other queen received on that scale.






























