The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

It is said that Ancient Egypt lasted for approximately 3,000 years (3100 BC – 30 BC). During that time, only a handful of female pharaohs ruled the historical civilisation, such as Hatshepsut and Cleopatra VII. The latter was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt before the country was taken over by the Romans. There are also some world-renowned women, like Nefertiti and Ahmose-Nefertari, who served as queen consorts, but not as pharaohs.   

Amidst the overwhelming and countless events in history, some figures are often overlooked. One such example is Queen Twosret, the last known pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Many details of her biography are still uncertain, so this is what we know so far, based on a piece called The History of Egypt for Kids – Queen Twosret.

She was the wife of Pharoah Seti II and stepmother to Siptah, Seti’s child from a previous marriage. Upon the death of his father, Siptah was put under the guidance of Twosret, who became queen regent for six years. Sadly, Siptah was a sickly child and died at the age of sixteen, after which Twosret assumed the throne for herself and the role of Queen-Pharaoh. She ruled the land with the help of a wealthy foreign courtier called Chancellor Bay. After Bay’s execution as a result of his denunciation as a traitor due to his possible attempt to seize power, the queen was left vulnerable in the face of her enemies. A year after Siptah’s death, her reign ended in a civil war and then officially began the 20^th dynasty under its first pharaoh, Setnakhte.

In commemoration of this supposedly forgotten and powerful queen, Egyptian filmmaker, Karim Mousa, released a short film, called Twosret, that starred socialite and model, Zayneb Azzam, depicting the dominant queen.

Be sure to check out the movie via this link, and prepare yourself to be blown away by some amazing visuals using advanced high-tech software.