Sobekneferu, The First Queen Of Egypt

Sobekneferu, also known as Neferusobek or ‘the beauty of Obek’, is the first queen of Egypt to be classified as ruler of the former empire by reliable official research.

The accepted term to refer to an Egyptian queen is pharaoh wife or queen pharaoh. That’s why it turns out that the word “Pharaoh,” which is so widespread and rooted in the folk heritage, strangely enough is linguistically incorrect.

The life story of Sobekneferu is full of surprising and powerful events that serve as a source of inspiration. Just like any person who takes the lead and leads the way. And above all, just  like any woman who takes on a role that is normally only held by a man.

This woman also had a strong personality, determination and a robust intellect and tactical ability. She needed all this to rule an empire. An empire that was both prosperous and complicated, having traditionally been in the hands of pharaohs.

Brief History of Sobekneferu, the First Queen of Egypt

Sobekneferu was the last ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt, which marked the end of the Middle Kingdom. She was the youngest daughter of King Amenemhat III.

Her older sister Neferuptah seemed to take an interest in the throne before Sobekneferu. She was destined to take the throne. However, she died before her father died, so never came to power.

Sobekneferu reigned for three years and ten months. Her architectural achievements were very important in ancient Egypt. Among other things, she significantly expanded the burial complex of Amenemhat III, known today as the Herodotus Labyrinth). She also promoted relevant constructions in Heracleopolis Magna.

Old records show that she was a woman of strong disposition and unwavering attitude. Her strong character, courage and above all her intelligence and concern for rulership enabled her to go down in history as one of the foremost leaders of the Egyptian Empire.

What was so special about this queen of Egypt?

Some of Sobekneferu’s most characteristic features were her courage and dedication to stand out as an honorable and respected leader, in a universe of male rulers. However, she also emphasized her major non-conformity with regard to gender inequality during this time.

In this sense, and what has caused more speculation than the depictions of Sobekneferu in men’s clothing, is that the first queen of Egypt always used feminine pronouns in her titles. Not all Egyptian leaders agreed.

In an effort to normalize women’s role in the highest power and equate power with the symbols of both femininity and masculinity, there are several portraits and images of her that show her in very unusual clothing and with symbols of power, such as crowns. and sceptres.

This time was a time when, as many experts claim, the female gender was sometimes considered a cause for shame. However, there is no reason to think that Sobekneferu wanted to pretend to be a man.

Instead, she tended to feminize the symbolism that was only accepted as masculine. This may have been the result of her efforts to silence the critics of her reign. In this way, she avoided having to renounce the status of female ruler.

Her fight for gender equality

In Ancient Egypt, it was the ambition of every king to go down in history as a pharaoh in the most traditional sense. This was something that necessarily involved (due to cultural roots) the use of certain indicators of masculinity.

Thus, the combination of male and female markers would probably have been to preserve the image of the classical and honorable pharaoh, but with the added quirk of being female.

The tomb of Egypt’s first officially confirmed queen has yet to be discovered. However, we can recognize that she was an example of strength and perseverance in the fight for gender equality.

We can all be a first king or queen, rulers of our own lives, leaders of our destiny. As with Sobekneferu, a strong will to succeed is all we need to create our place in the history of this world.