Queen Nefertari’s Tomb
Queen Nefertari Playing Senet, copied from Nefertari’s tomb by Nina de Garis Davies 1921-22.
I think I first fell under the spell of ancient Egypt when I saw the 1970s movie version of ‘Death on the Nile.’
What struck me was the far-flung landscape and romance of the Nile and even more so, the monumental statues, art and architecture of this exotic land and the mysterious writings that covered much of it.
Since then I’ve watched many art and archaeology pieces on ancient Egypt. I always visit the Egyptian section of art and natural history museums and always marvel at the colors, intriguing hieroglyphs and symbolism of everything involved. Recently, I saw a documentary on Queen Nefertari’s tomb which inspired me to write this post.
From the 1978 version of Death on the Nile
The Celestial Chamber:
Symbols and Deities in the Tomb of Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II
Hidden deep within the Valley of the Queens lies a jewel of Egyptian art — the Tomb of Nefertari (QV66), the beloved Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II. Discovered in 1904 by Ernesto Schiaparelli*, the tomb is a radiant hymn to color, light, and the eternal afterlife. Every surface sings with meaning: stars, gods, and sacred hues weave a visual prayer for immortality.
*Ernesto Schiaparelli was the cousin of famed avant-garde designer, Elsa Schiaparelli.
The images above are from two separate tempera paintings by Charles K Wilkinson and Nina de Garis Davies who worked to record the original tomb paintings. They are amazing in their detail
The first one on the left (Wilkinson) shows Isis leading Nefertari. According to the Met Museum, where these pieces reside, it’s notable that the Queen is shown alone with a deity, without her husband, Ramsses II. It speaks to her very high status that she is able to interact one on one with the gods.
The second image is a detail of a larger image, that I include to show the beautiful vulture headdress that symbolizes the goddess Nekhbet. This facsimile was painted by Nina de Garis Davies.
Throughout the tomb the Queen is showing in various headdresses, all elaborate.
The Language of Color
Color in ancient Egypt was never mere decoration — it was symbolic energy. In Nefertari’s tomb, the pigments shimmer with life:
Deep blue, made from Egyptian blue (a copper silicate), represents the heavens, creation, and rebirth. The ceilings are scattered with golden stars across this lapis-like sky — Nefertari’s eternal home among the gods.
Gold and yellow evoke the sun and divinity, the flesh of the gods themselves.
White (from gypsum or chalk) symbolizes purity and sacred ritual.
Green embodies fertility and regeneration — the promise of new life in the Field of Reeds.
Red signifies vitality and power, yet also the protective fire of the sun god Ra.
These colors were chosen not only for their beauty but for their magical potency, guiding Nefertari’s spirit safely through the afterlife.
The ceiling of Nefertari’s tomb is painted with thousands of small gold start on a lapis-colored background.
The Celestial Ceiling
The ceilings of her burial chamber resemble the night sky itself — a deep ultramarine field spangled with golden five-pointed stars. In Egyptian cosmology, the heavens were the body of Nut, goddess of the sky, who swallows the sun each evening and gives birth to it at dawn. The stars around Nefertari symbolized her transformation into an akh, a blessed spirit among the celestial gods.
Queen Nefertari standing before Thoth. Image: wikidpedia
The Guiding Deities
Throughout the tomb’s four chambers, Nefertari is depicted among the pantheon of divine protectors who ensure her passage to eternity. She is shown with some deities more than once.
Osiris, lord of the afterlife, stands as her judge and protector.
Isis and Nephthys, the twin sisters who guard the dead, flank Osiris — their wings outstretched in eternal embrace.
Horus, falcon-headed son of Isis, symbolizes royal protection and divine kingship.
Anubis, jackal-headed guardian of mummification, leads Nefertari through purification and judgment.
Thoth, the ibis-headed scribe of the gods, records the outcome of the weighing of her heart against the feather of Ma’at, the goddess of truth and order.
Hathor, radiant with cow horns and sun disk, welcomes Nefertari into paradise; in one scene, the goddess tenderly takes the queen by the hand — a gesture of acceptance into the afterlife.
Detail images from inside the tomb, Osiris, recognizable by the green face, to the right. Original images: wikipedia
Each god is painted in vivid hues and precise hieroglyphs, embodying not just art, but theology: the assurance that Nefertari’s soul would never perish.
Hieroglyphs and Sacred Imagery
The walls are covered with passages from the Book of the Dead, inscribed in brilliant red and blue hieroglyphs. Scarab beetles, the ankh (symbol of life), and the djed pillar (symbol of stability) appear frequently. Together they promise rebirth, endurance, and divine protection.
Even the vulture wings painted above the doorways carry deep meaning — the emblem of goddess Nekhbet, guardian of Upper Egypt and protector of queens. Her wings stretch protectively across the threshold, a reminder that no evil could enter the sacred space.
The Eternal Message
Nefertari’s tomb is more than a resting place — it is a theological poem rendered in pigment and plaster. Every star, every color, every symbol speaks of transformation: from mortal queen to radiant deity.
Standing beneath that painted sky, one feels what the Egyptians believed — that art itself was a form of magic, and that through it, the soul could live forever.
Further Resources:
There are a number of videos on YouTube, up until 2024 it was open to the public, although it had been closed and re-opened before. Here is a link to a short video by the AP with a brief tour.
There is also a lecture by The Great Courses specifically on Nefertari’s Tomb that’s part of their larger 30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World, and a pdf by the Getty Museum that visits the tomb in detail and includes some beautiful photos to accompany it. House of Eternity: Tomb of Nefertari