The search for Nefertiti: How close is Zahi Hawass to discovering the queen's mummy?

CAIRO – 19 September 2022: Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass said he is sure that the mummy he is currently studying will be that of Queen Nefertiti.

Hawass, who has closely studied Egyptian history and excavated ancient tombs for decades, is currently preparing an exhibition entitled "Daughters of the Nile" focusing on women in Pharaonic Egypt.

"I am sure that I will reveal the mummy of Nefertiti within a month or two," said Hawass to the Spanish newspaper The Independent.

Nefertiti, whose full name is Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, lived between approximately 1370 and 1330 BC and married the pharaoh Akhenaten. She was the queen of ancient Egypt in a period of great wealth and was the mother of Tutankhamun.

Some believe that after the death of her husband, Nefertiti ruled as queen. Although scholars had different opinions on this matter, Hawass believed in it.

"I am still searching for two things: Nefertiti's tomb and her body. I really believe that Nefertiti ruled Egypt for 3 years after Akhenaten's death under the name Smenkhkare,” said Hawass.

“We already have DNA from the 18th Dynasty, from Akhenaten to Amenhotep II or III. There are two unidentified mummies that are temporarily labelled KV21A and KV21B. In October, we will be able to announce the discovery of the mummy of Ankhesenamun, the wife of Tutankhamun, and her mother, Nefertiti. Also, if the mummy of the 10-year-old boy in cemetery KV35 belongs to the brother of Tutankhamun and the son of Akhenaten, the problem raised by Nefertiti will be solved," explained Hawass.