Where did Nefertiti come from?
The queen’s origins and background are equally unknown. According to one theory, she may have been the Mitannic princess Tadukhepa, the intended bride of Amenophis III, but may instead have married his son. Another theory says Nefertiti was the issue of a union between Amenophis III and a concubine. That would make Akhenaton and Nefertiti half-brother and half-sister to each other. This theory is somewhat improbable, as the title, ‘Daughter of the Pharaoh’ would then have been Nefertiti’s by right, but it never was. A third theory is that Nefertiti was the daughter of Ti (also spelt Tiy) and Ay (also spelt Aya). On this basis, her father would have been a top official at the court of Amenophis III and subsequently a close confidant of Akhenaton. According to this theory, which is gaining currency among Egyptologists, Nefertiti’s background would thus have been in the top rank of Egyptian society. However, Ti was probably not the biological mother of the beautiful queen, but was, more l
