Meritaten

Meritaten was an ancient Egyptian queen, the Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten. She was the daughter of Akhenaten and his Great Royal Wife Nefertiti, making her a full sister to several other royal children. Meritaten's name means "Beloved of Aten."

She played a significant role during the Amarna Period, a time of radical religious and political change initiated by her father. Akhenaten abandoned traditional Egyptian polytheism in favor of the worship of Aten, the sun disc. Meritaten and her family were often depicted in religious scenes alongside Akhenaten and Aten, emphasizing their central role in this new cult.

Meritaten is believed to have had children with Akhenaten, though the identities of her offspring are not definitively known. Some scholars suggest she may have married Smenkhkare, a successor to Akhenaten, though this is debated. After the Amarna Period ended and traditional religious practices were restored, Meritaten, like much of the Amarna royal family, largely disappeared from historical records. Her lineage and eventual fate remain subjects of scholarly discussion.