Tiy

Tiy (1415 - 1340 BC) was the Chief Queen of Amenhotep III and matriarch of the Amarna family. By all accounts, she was a very beautiful woman. Tiy’s mother was Egyptian (a descendant of Ahmose Nefertari[?]), and it appears from his mummy that her father, Yuaa[?], may have been of Asiatic descent. Tiy had at least six children, one of whom, Akhenaton, went on to become pharaoh (he married Nefertiti).

Amenhotep III lavished a good deal of attention on his charming wife. He devoted number of shrines to her, built her a palace, and even built her an artificial lake. During his reign, Akenaton built his mother a sumptuous shrine.

Tiy enjoyed a good deal of power during her husband’s and son’s reigns. Amenhotep III, although a fine sportsman, lover of outdoor life, and a man of great wealth, was no statesman. Tiy, on the other hand, appears to have been the power behind the throne. She was her husband’s trusted advisor and confidant, played an active role in foreign relations, and was the first Egyptian queen to have her name on official acts. She continued to advise Akhenaton when he took the throne. Her son’s correspondence with Tushratta[?], the king of Mitanni, speaks of Tiy’s political influence, which she wielded in part because at the time royal and noble bloodlines passed through the family’s female members.