Sobekneferu, The First Queen Of Egypt
Sobekneferu, also known as Neferusobek or “the beauties of Sobek”, is the first queen of Egypt that official investigation has reliably classified as ruler of the ancient empire.
The term accepted by convention to refer to an Egyptian queen is woman-pharaoh or queen-pharaoh. Therefore, the word “pharaoh”, so widespread and rooted in the popular heritage, curiously turns out not to be a correct linguistic permutation.
Like every person who leads and leads the way, and especially like every woman who assumes a role otherwise uniquely attributable to man, Sobekneferu’s life story is fraught with surprising and powerful events that serve as a source of inspiration.
Also, a strong personality, determination, and a robust intellect and tactical ability were necessary for this woman to rule an empire, as prosperous as it was complicated; since it had been classically in the hands of pharaohs.
Brief history of the first queen of Egypt
Sobekneferu was the last ruler of the twelfth dynasty, temporarily framed towards the end of the Middle Kingdom.
She was the youngest of Amenemhat III’s daughters. His older sister, Neferuptah, seemed to show an interest in power before Sobekneferu and although she was destined to occupy the throne, she died before her father without actually inheriting it.
Egyptologists attribute to this empress a kingdom lasting three years and ten months. At that time, the queen achieved relatively important achievements related to the architecture of her nation : she greatly expanded the funeral complex of Amenemhat III (known today as the Labyrinth of Herodotus) and promoted important constructions in Herakleopolis Magna.
From the records of her reign that have survived, it appears that she was a woman of firm disposition and unwavering attitude. Her strong character, her bravery and, above all, her intelligence and care for the reign allowed her to go down in history as one of the most outstanding leaders of the Egyptian Empire.
What was special about this queen?
Some of the most characteristic features of Sobekneferu were her courage and dedication to stand out as an honorable and respected leader in a universe of male rulers. However, he also highlighted his great nonconformity with the gender canons of the moment.
In this sense, and for more speculation that the representations of Sobekneferu dressed in masculine clothes have generated, the first queen of Egypt never stopped using feminine suffixes in her titles. Something with which not all the Egyptian leaders agreed.
In an effort to normalize the role of women in the highest power and to equate in power the symbols of femininity and those of masculinity, several are the portraits and statues that show her with clothes and tools of power (crowns and scepters) highly unusual.
In an age when, as many experts claim, the female gender was sometimes seen as a source of shame, there is no reason to think that Sobekneferu wanted to pose as a man.
During Ancient Egypt, the aspiration of any king was to go down in history as pharaoh in the most traditional of senses; something that necessarily – due to cultural roots – implied the use of certain markers of masculinity.
Thus, the combination in his public representations of female and male markers could be explained as a mechanism to establish himself as a classical and venerable pharaoh, but with the peculiarity of having been a woman.
Although the tomb of the first officially confirmed queen of Egypt is yet to be discovered, what we can recognize is that it was an example of strength and improvement and the fight for gender equality.
We can all be first kings, rulers of our life, leaders of our destiny. Like Sobekneferu, an unbreakable will and the ability to fight is all we need to build our place in world history.
