Nefertari wasn’t a reigning queen of Egypt, like Cleopatra and Hatshepsut. But as the favorite wife (among eight) of an obsessive builder, Pharaoh Ramesses II, she did inspire incredible art and architecture. There’s the rock-cut Temple of Hathor and Nefertari (pictured above) at Abu Simbel, as well as a gorgeous painted tomb in the Valley of the Queens. An exhibition about Nefertari, at the Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City, Mo., includes personal effects from the tomb, such as delicate woven-fiber sandals and a fine pair of knees—the only remnant of her mummy that archaeologists found. Queen Nefertari: Eternal Egypt will be on view through March 29.
This article originally appears in the February 2020 issue of ARCHITECT, with the title “Lady of the Two Lands.”
