Neferhetepes (died 2480 BC) was a queen of Ancient Egypt. She was the mother of Sahure, and most likely the wife of king Userkaf, the first king of the Fifth Dynasty.
Biography She was the mother of king Sahure, Userkaf's successor, and she was most likely the mother of Meretnebty, Sahure's wife. Neferhetepes' most important titles were mother of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt and daughter of the god.Tarek El Awady: The royal family of sahure. New evidence, in: M.Barta; F. Coppens, J. Krjci (Hrsg.): Abusir and Saqqara in the Year 2005, Prague 2006 , p. 192-98
Neferhetepes was known for a long time from a reference in the tomb of the official Persen. His tomb is not far away from the pyramid of Userkaf, and therefore, there were some speculations about her identity and her relation to this king. However, several reliefs were found recently at the causeway of the pyramid belonging to king Sahure. Here, Neferhetepes is shown as mother of King Sahure, and she was therefore most likely the wife of Userkaf, Sahure's predecessor.
Death She most likely lived until the end of Sahures' reign, and is therefore not the same person as the king's daughter Neferhetepes of the Fourth Dynasty.Tarek El Awady: The royal family of sahure. New evidence, in: M.Barta; F. Coppens, J. Krjci (Hrsg.): Abusir and Saqqara in the Year 2005, Prague 2006 , p. 197-98
Tomb At Saqqara, the small Pyramid Complex of Neferhetepes was next to Userkaf's pyramid.Audran Labrousse und Jean-Philippe Lauer: Les complexes funéraires d'Ouserkaf et de Néferhétepès. Band 1 und 2, IFAO, 2000
Bibliography El Awady, T., & Abusir, X. V. I. (2009). Sahure–The Pyramid Causeway. History and Decoration Program in the Old Kingdom, Abusir XVI, Prague.
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