Nimaathap facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nimaathap in hieroglyphs
Personal name: Nimaathap/Nimaat-Hapi nj-m33.t-Ḥp Truth of Hapi
Royal title: Mwt neswt-bity mw.t-nsw.t-btj Mother of a king
Honorary title: Djet-khetneb-iret-nes ḏt -ḫtnb-jr.t-ns She who says something and it is done (for her) immediately

Nimaathap (also called Nima'at-Hapi or Nihap-ma'at) was an important ancient Egyptian queen. She lived during a time of change, right when the 2nd Dynasty was ending and the 3rd Dynasty was beginning. Nimaathap might have even ruled Egypt for a short time as a regent for her son, Djoser, who later became a famous pharaoh.

People remembered Nimaathap for a very long time. She had a special "mortuary cult," which means people continued to honor her and perform rituals for her after she died.

Discovering Nimaathap

We know about Nimaathap from several ancient objects. Her name appears on clay seals, which are like stamps used to mark things. Most of these seals were found in the tomb of Pharaoh Khasekhemwy, who was the last ruler of the 2nd Dynasty.

Other seals with her name were found at a place called Beit Khallaf. These were in large, flat-topped tombs called mastabas. We don't know how the people buried in those tombs were related to Nimaathap.

Her name also shows up on pieces of stone from Heliopolis, an ancient city. These stones show Nimaathap kneeling in front of Pharaoh Djoser. Djoser's wife, Queen Hetephernebti, and his daughter, Princess Inetkaes, are also in the picture. This carving suggests that Nimaathap was still alive when Djoser was pharaoh. It also shows she took part in an important royal ceremony called a Hebsed.

Interestingly, Nimaathap's name is not found in Djoser's pyramid complex at Saqqara. Instead, pictures of the god Anubis, who was linked to grief and mummies, appear where her name might have been.

Nimaathap's name also appears in the tomb of a high official named Metjen. Metjen worked for later kings, Huni and Sneferu. He was in charge of Nimaathap's "Ka-house," which means he managed her mortuary cult. This shows how important Nimaathap was, even many years after her death, during the time known as the Old Kingdom.

Who Was Nimaathap?

Her Name's Meaning

Nimaathap's name is sometimes read as Nimaathapi. Her name is connected to Hapi, an Egyptian god often linked to the Nile River and fertility. This is similar to Queen Khenthap from the 1st Dynasty, whose name also connected to a god. Some experts believe this connection to Hapi might relate to a royal title that came later: "bull of his mother."

Her Important Titles

As a queen, Nimaathap held several important titles:

• Mother of a king (in Egyptian: Mwt-neswt-bity): This was her most important title. It proves that she gave birth to at least one king.
• Mother of royal children (in Egyptian: Mwt-mesw-nesw): This special title might mean that Nimaathap had several children who could have become kings.
• King's wife (in Egyptian: hemet-nesw): This title appears on a special cup made of granite. However, some experts are not sure if this cup is truly from Nimaathap's time.
• She who says something and it is done (for her) immediately (in Egyptian: Djed-khetneb-iret-nes): This was a rare but powerful title. It meant the queen had the right to give commands to the royal court, and they had to be followed right away.
• Sealer of the shipyard (in Egyptian: Sedjawty-Khwj-retek): It's not clear if this was truly one of her titles. It might have just been the name of an official who owned the jar where her seal was found.

Her Family

Most experts believe Nimaathap was the queen of Pharaoh Khasekhemwy. This is because many of her seals were found in his tomb at Abydos. We don't know exactly how many children Nimaathap had. However, Pharaoh Djoser, who ruled right after Khasekhemwy, and possibly Sekhemkhet and Sanakht (who ruled after Djoser), are often thought to be her sons.

Nimaathap's Role in History

Older ideas about Nimaathap suggested she was Khasekhemwy's daughter and married a king named Nebka. These theories also said Djoser was the "first rightful king" from that family line. This would have matched ancient lists of kings.

However, these ideas are now mostly disproven. We have many more seal impressions and stone writings with Nimaathap's titles like "mother of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt," "mother of royal children," and "king's wife."

Today, experts believe Nimaathap was likely a princess from a royal family in Northern Egypt. When Khasekhemwy won a battle against the Northern royal house, Nimaathap might have been given to him as a sign of peace or victory.

Experts also believe that Djoser started a new dynasty, or ruling family. Djoser and Nimaathap buried Khasekhemwy at the old royal cemetery in Thinite Abydos. But Djoser then created a brand new cemetery in Memphis at Saqqara. This shows a clear break and the start of a new era. Djoser buried his father in the place where Khasekhemwy's family came from.

Nimaathap likely supported her son Djoser for several years after he became king, as the stone carving from Heliopolis suggests. After she died, Nimaathap was clearly remembered and honored for a long time. She was seen as a co-founder of the new dynasty, as shown by the mortuary services performed for her by the priest Metjen during the 4th Dynasty.

Where is Nimaathap's Tomb?

We are not completely sure where Nimaathap was buried. Some Egyptologists think her tomb might be mastaba K1 at Beit Khallaf. This is because many seals with her name were found inside that tomb.

Other experts believe Nimaathap was originally meant to be buried at Abydos, near her husband Khasekhemwy. However, she might have been buried somewhere else, perhaps at Abusir. This idea comes from the fact that the high-ranking official Metjen was in charge of her mortuary cult. Usually, the person overseeing a mortuary cult was buried close to the tomb they looked after.

Images for kids

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  Seal impression with the name and title of Nimaathap, found at Abydos.