Meretnebty () was a queen consort of Egypt as a wife of king Sahure.Tarek El Awady: The royal family of Sahure. New evidence. In: Miroslav Bárta, Jaromír Krejčí, Filip Coppens: Abusir and Saqqara in the Year 2005. Czech Institute of Egyptology - Faculty of Arts - Charles University in Prague, Prague 2006, , pp. 198-203. She lived during the 5th Dynasty and was named after Two Ladies, a pair of Egyptian goddesses who protected the king.
Biography Meretnebty's parents are not known. She is depicted with her husband in his mortuary temple at Abusir.Tyldesley, Joyce. Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt. Thames & Hudson. 2006. p. 54 In the temple, she is shown next to the mother of Sahure, Neferhetepes, both holding their hands. That is a highly unusual depiction and might indicate a close relationship between both. Perhaps Neferhetepes was her mother.Vivienne Gae Callender: In Hathor's Image, The wives and mothers of Egyptian kings from Dynasties I-VI, Prague 2011, , p. 162-168 In the mortuary temple, several sons are mentioned. Their names are Horemsaf, Netjerirenre, Khakare, and Nebankhre. It is not clear if these princes are the sons of Meretnebty or possibly of another wife.Dodson, Aidan and Hilton, Dyan. The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. 2004. pp. 62-69, Meretnebty's titles include those of great of praises, she who sees Horus and Seth, king’s wife, his beloved, and companion of Horus.Grajetzki, Ancient Egyptian Queens: A Hieroglyphic Dictionary, Golden House Publications, London, 2005, p. 15,
Sahure and Meretnebty's children may have been Princes Ranefer and Netjerirenre. According to Miroslav Verner, Ranefer took the throne as Neferirkare Kakai, and Netjerirenre may have later taken the throne as Shepseskare.El Awady, Tarek. The royal family of Sahure. New evidence., Abusir and Saqqara in the Year 2005. Proceedings of the Conference Held in Prague (June 27 – July 5, 2005). Prague: Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Oriental Institute (2006). pp.213–214
The queen was known for a long time from depictions in the pyramid temple of Sahure. However, the name there was partly destroyed and was reconstructed as Neferet-ha-Nebti or Neferetnebti. In more recent excavations, blocks with depictions of the queen were found and her name is completely preserved as Meretnebty.Vivienne Gae Callender: In Hathor's Image I, The wives and mothers of Egyptian kings from Dynasties I-VI, Prague 2011, , p. 166-171
Sources
External links Sahure List of Queens of Egypt