Tiye was the great royal wife of the ancient Egyptian equivalent of Louis XIV: Amenhotep III. Her son Akhenaten, was one of the biggest scandal-mongers during the time of the Pharaohs in Egypt. She was also the grandmother of Tutankhamun and the sister of Ay. She was one of the most influential women in Ancient Egypt, yet her name had been forgotten for centuries.
Tiye, also known as Taia, Tiy, and Tiyi, is believed to have lived between approximately 1398 BC and 1338 BC. Her life story is as mysterious as that of all the people who lived in this period. The world she lived in collapsed with her son Akhenaten’s capital city of Amarna.
According to ancient inscriptions, Tiye is the daughter of Yuya and Tuya and the sister of Pharaoh Ay. Some Egyptologists say that there is no link between Ay and Tiye, but the position of her brother (also known as Anen) seems to be proof: he was the Second Prophet of Amun and inherited most of Yuya’s titles. Apart from this, there is no other reason for Ay’s high position in the royal court: he was probably related to Yuya, Tuya and Tiye.
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A mummy with beautiful hair
When Victor Loretin discovered a chamber with hidden mummies in 1898, he saw a woman with beautiful long hair. It was unusual to see such a beautiful face and such well-preserved hair on a mummy.
In 2010, DNA testing by the team from the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the National Geographic Society and Siemens confirmed that the beautiful “Old Woman” discovered in KV35 was Queen Tiye. The research also confirmed that the woman was the grandmother of Tutankhamun, the mother of Akhenaten and also the mother of the “Young Lady” discovered in KV35.
The mummy of Queen Tiye, now in the Egyptian Museum. ( Public domain )
The mummy was found unwrapped. It had been badly damaged by robbers who had broken into the tomb, perhaps in ancient times. The entire anterior part of the abdomen and part of the thorax were damaged. She was discovered and described by researcher G. E. Smith as a middle-aged woman whose right arm was extended vertically to the side with the palm of her right hand placed on her right thigh, but her left arm was crossed over her chest and was holding something in it at the time she was buried. This was the first suggestion that she might have been a queen. Her teeth and hair were well preserved, however the mummy had been reburied in KV35 with almost no goods, and even without the attempt to rewrap it.
She was perhaps originally buried at Amarna, in the royal tomb of Akhenaten. Akhenaten and Makhtaten (her granddaughter) were buried alongside her. The golden funerary shrine showing Tiye with Akhenaten was discovered in tomb KV55 9 (Akhenaten’s final burial), but her shabtis were discovered in tomb WV22, the one belonging to Amenhotep III.
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A wise counselor and confidant
Tiye is believed to have been an advisor to both Amenhotep III and Akhenaten. Her position in their courts was strong. She was married to Amenhotep during his second year of reign. They were both children, but they spent their entire lives together. Tiye appears in history as an intelligent advisor and the most important woman in Amenhotep’s court, who also became an important person during her son’s reign.
Colossal statue of Amenhotep III. ( Public domain )
Amenhotep and Tiye had a few children, but it is unknown how many of them survived infancy. She was perhaps also the mother of the pharaoh’s eldest daughter, Sitamun. Tiye was elevated to the position of Great Royal Wife during Amenhotep’s reign. Her other daughters may include Isis, Henuttaneb, and Nebetah (who appears to be the same person as Princess Baketaten). She also had at least two children with the pharaoh. The first was Tuthmosis, the High Priest of Ptah, and the second was born as Amenhotep IV, but is known to history as the king who created a revolution: Akhenaten.
The Great Royal Wife Tiye, matriarch of the Amarna dynasty, now in the Neues Museum/Ägyptisches Museum in Berlin, Germany. ( CC BY-SA 2.0 )
Amenhotep was a sporty man, who lived an outdoor life and was fortunate to have a wife who followed him. His court was wealthy and during Tiye’s lifetime Egypt seemed like a building site. The couple are believed to have had a good relationship based on much stronger bonds than simply sharing children. Tiye was well educated, worthy of a king. She seemed to be her husband’s advisor and confidante. She was one of the few people Amenhotep III trusted. Resources show that she was intelligent, wise, self-confident and powerful. She played an active role in Egypt’s politics, foreign relations, etc. She is the first known Egyptian queen whose name appeared on official acts. The king of Mitannii, Tushratta, is confirmed to have corresponded with Tiye.
Tiye was worshipped as the goddess Hathor-Tefnut at the temple of Sedeinga, Nubia. There were many shrines dedicated to her. An artificial lake was also built for her in the 12th year of Amenhotep’s reign.
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The end of the story
When Amenhotep died after 39 years of his reign, Tiye arranged for his burial in the Valley of the Kings in a tomb known today as WV22. Tiye died, perhaps during the 12th year of Akhenaten’s reign (c.1338 BC). It is thought that he may have died from an epidemic. At the same time, many other people of his time disappeared from the pages of history.
Queen Tiye, whose husband, Amenhotep III, may have been depicted to her right in this broken statue ( CC BY-SA 2.0 FR )
When he died, he was around 50 years old. Shortly after his death, Akhenaten lost his authority and his city began to lose power. This period of history still holds many secrets, but it seems certain that Tiye was an important part of the court. With his death, an era of history was brought to an end forever. Tiye’s death could be seen as marking the end of the magnificence of the 18th Dynasty.
Cover image: Tiye, the Great Royal Wife of Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten and grandmother of Tutankhamun ( CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 )
By Natalia Klimczak
