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Amenirdis I was installed in Thebes as the heiress to Shepenwepet I by either Kashta (her father) or Piye (Piankhi). As heiress she was given the title of "Adorer of the God" (dwat-netjer). It is not known exactly when Shepenwepet I died and Amenirdis became God's Wife, but it was during the reign of Shabaqa. At that time Amenirdis had adopted her niece Shepenwepet II, daughter of Piye as her successor. Amenirdis died during the reign of Taharqa, her uncle. She was succeeded by Shepenwepet II as God's Wife of Amun.
Amenirdis had the Temple of Osiris HeqaDjet ('Osiris, Ruler of Eternity') built in the Karnak Temple complex along with Shebitqo (Shabataqa): this image is a wall relief depicting Amun and Mut giving life to the God's Wife of Amun Amenirdis I. A further wall relief from the Osiris HeqaDjet temple shows Amun with some colour still intact [image]. Amenirdis and Shebitqo (Shabataqa) also added a further small court and a pylon to this temple.
A further chapel dedicated by Amenirdis I to Osiris De-ese-Hebsed remains but in a poor state - however, it is an interesting monument and stands as further testament to the important role - and religious power - of God's Wife of Amun, Amenirdis I in the Precinct of Amun.
Taharqa, the uncle of Amenirdis I, made considerable additions to the ever-growing Temple of Karnak. Scholars have identified Taharqa with Tirhakah, King of Ethiopia, who waged war against Sennacherib during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. [King Taharqa's Photo Gallery]
Wadi Hamamat: Inscriptions dated to year 12 of Shabaqo can be found that mention Amenirdis I. [Dodson-Hilton]
It is alleged that upon her death, Queen
Amenirdis I was buried within
the grounds of her Mortuary Chapel in Ramses III's Mortuary Temple
at Medinet Habu. If this is the case, some Egyptologists may disagree
as fairly recently (2001 to 2004) vague reports and claims were made
that the mummy remains had been located and had
not been retrieved from Amenirdis' Mortuary Temple in Medinet Habu.
"Relief
with Deities and High Priestess"
"The
relief on the right depicts the God's Wife of Amun Amunirdis I ,making
an offering of Ma'at to the god Amun-Re. Behind Amun-Re stands Khonsu,
his son by his chief consort Mut. These three divinities comprise the
divine family of the Theban region.
The
relief on the left shows Amun-Re and Mut. Because the two scenes are
comparable though reversed, it seems likely that Amun-Re and Mut faced
another God's Wife of Amun. The shallow sunk relief and the treatment
of the faces are typical of Twenty-fifth Dynasty reliefs found on the
small chapels in Thebes."
Sandstone.
Karnak. ca. 710-670 B.C.E. Dimensions: 73.5CM x 79CM x 4.5CM
Reproduced
courtesy of The
Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Memorial Fund.
Brooklyn
Museum Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art.
Amenirdis ruled during the Third Intermediate Period, XXV Dynasty - 736-690 BCE though some sources state her regnal dates as being 740-720 BCE. There is still doubt regarding the dates that Amenirdis I lived and ruled yet the majority of sources seem to agree upon 736-690 BCE or thereabouts.
Amunirdis served as "God's Wife of Amon", "God's Hand of Amun", "Divine Adoratrice", "Lady of the Two Lands", "Mistress of the Lands" (Upper and Lower Egypt) and "High Priestess of Amon" for between forty-two and forty-six years and ruled from Karnak at Thebes. Her position was that of a ruling Queen, oracle and living Goddess, much like Pharaoh was seen as a living God.
God's Wife of Amun
(Hmt nTr [n Jmn]) |
Divine Adoratrice of Amun
(DwAt-nTr) |
God's Hand of Amun
(Drt nTr) |
The name of Amenirdis occurs on relics found in Montu Temple at Karnak, graffitos at Wadi Hammamat and Wadi Gasus. In addition, a temple to Osiris was built by Amenirdis I in the Karnak Temple complex.
She governed Karnak as the major city that it was, and its outlying areas, with great power and control. Karnak complex thrived under her guidance and the area was prosperous and productive after the previously unstable period in Egypt. Details still remain of the annual 'output' of the vast domain of Amon at Karnak on a day-to-day basis.
Amenardis - "Beloved of Amon"
Hat-nfrw-mwt (Hatnefrumut) is the Prenomen of Amenirdis I.
Imn-iir-di-si (Amenardis) being the Queen's Nomen.
Daughter of King Kashta and Queen Pebatma, Amenirdis I is said to have had the Nubian royal name 'AkaluKa Princess of Nubia' (or Aqaluqa) - not to be confused with Legendary Queen Eyleuka of Ethiopia - prior to her rule in ancient Egypt.
This web site will eventually contain details of Amenirdis' family; some of her 'staff' in the Precinct of Amun e.g. Peshuper - "Scribe of The Divine Adoratrice Amenirdis", Harwa - "Steward of the Divine Votaress" (TT37) and Akhamenerau "Chief Steward of the Divine Adoratrix Amenirdis I and Shepenupet II", TT404.
Most noteable is Harwa - a man of great importance during the twenty-fifth dynasty - see Harwa.it
Harwa should not be confused with the Hawara, the location of the Pyramid of Amenemhet III (Amenemhet III) and surrounding areas. 'Hawara' is an archaeological site of Ancient Egypt, south of the site of Crocodilopolis (Arsinoe) at the entrance to the depression of the Fayyum oasis.
Accurate information is needed to complete this web site and I would be very grateful for any information, sources or corrections please. Thank you.
If you have any information or sources, please do e-mail information to be included as this web site is built? Thank you. Research@Amunirdis.net
See the Queen Amenirdis Research, Q&A & Information Blog here:
http://Queen.Amenardis.net/
'Divine Consort' - "Amenirdis the Great" - "Amenirdis the Elder" - "Beloved of Amon"
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