231: The Hittite Queen of Egypt

The History of Egypt Podcast

Dominic Perry

History, Society & Culture

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 13 April 2026

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Married before first sight. In regnal year 34 (1259 BCE) Ramesses welcomed a princess of Hatti. Sent by her father Hattusili and mother Puduhepa, the (anonymous) princess came to Egypt and took up the rank of King's Great Wife. Today, she is known by her Egyptian name, MAAT-HOR-NEFERURA "She Who Sees Horus, the Perfection of Ra." This enigmatic woman sits at the centre of a fascinating letter archive and commemorative text. Ramesses celebrated his new bride in grand style... Music by Luke Chaos Extended version of this episode available at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast Sources Beckman, G. (1999). Hittite Diplomatic Texts (2nd ed.). Brand, P. J. (2023). Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh. Bryce, T. (2003). Letters of the Great Kings of the Ancient Near East: The Royal Correspondence of the Late Bronze Age. Archive.org. Edel, E. (1994). Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz aus Boghazköi in babylonischer und hethitischer Sprache I: Umschriften und Übersetzungen. Fisher, M. M. (2013). A Diplomatic Marriage in the Ramesside Period: Maathorneferure, Daughter of the Great Ruler of Hatti. In B. J. Collins & P. Michalowski (Eds.), Beyond Hatti: A Tribute to Gary Beckman (pp. 75—119). Jung, C. (2007). Rain in ancient Egypt: A linguistic approach. In H.-P. Wotzka, O. Bubenzer, M. Bollig, & R. Vogelsang (Eds.), Aridity, change and conflict in Africa (pp. 331–344). Available in Open Access pdf at Koeln. Kitchen, K. A. (1975). Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical (Vol. 2). Kitchen, K. A. (1996). Ramesside Inscriptions : Translations (Vol. 2). Kitchen, K. A. (1999). Ramesside Inscriptions: Notes and Comments (Vol. 2). Mieroop, M. van de. (2016). A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC. Polo, S. S. (2016, January 11). Inside One of Egypt’s Biggest Royal Weddings. National Geographic History. Wong, J. (2020). Have you ever seen the rain? Comments on an underrepresented phenomenon. Nile Magazine, 28, 24—35. Available at Academia.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Chris Stewart, and I invite you to come and join us here at the History of China podcast.
0:05.0	We've got it all. Wars with millions on each side to help drive home exactly why you should never get involved in a land war in Asia.
0:11.0	Come along on the Silk Road to partake in its riches. Join the great cons of the steps on campaign.
0:16.0	Ply the seas on treasure ships, or strike out with pirate crews to take their riches for your own.
0:25.3	Experience the sumptuousness of the imperial court behind the guarded gates of the forbidden city.
0:29.1	All this and so much more here at the History of China podcast. One day, around 1260 BCE, a bustle arose in Egypt's northern capital.
0:46.7	The great city of Pyramasies on the eastern edge of the Delta was welcoming a foreign embassy. The outsiders had come far across many lands,
0:57.4	traveling by foot and cart until they reached Egypt. Now, at last, the month's long journey
1:04.9	was ending. And as the party arrived at the banks of the Nile, they boarded lavish barges and crossed the waters to the
1:13.2	heart of Pyramases. Within the palace complex, servants hurried about, preparing food, drink,
1:20.9	and all good things to welcome the foreigners. Soldiers gathered at their posts, and in the outer courtyards to form an honor
1:29.4	guard. Musicians prepared their instruments and struck up a lively tune. The palace bustled with
1:36.0	activity. At last the embassy disembarked their riverboats and approached the palace gates.
1:42.1	The towering doors of gilded cedar wood swung back, and the
1:47.2	outsiders came in. What a sight they were. The ambassadors were richly dressed in colorful robes
1:55.1	that extended all the way to their ankles. Their hair was shaved at the forehead, the rest hanging down over the back
2:02.5	of the scalp, with thin braids on either side of the face. Some of the men wore beards, rich
2:09.4	and full. In their rear, escort guards bore conical helmets and clutched shields in a distinctive
2:16.7	figure-eight shape.
2:18.9	Their outfits were exotic, but familiar to the Egyptians.
2:24.0	These men were Hittites.
2:26.6	The foreigners proceeded slowly across the hallway of the Grand Palace.
	...

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