Twosret

Who was Twosret?

Queen Twosret was the last known ruler and the final Pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty. She is recorded in Manetho's Epitome as a certain Thuoris, who in Homer is called Polybus, husband of Alcandara, and in whose time Troy was taken. She was said to have ruled Egypt for seven years, but this figure included the nearly six-year reign of Siptah, her predecessor. Twosret simply assumed Siptah's regnal years as her own. While her sole independent reign would have lasted for perhaps one to one-and a half full years from 1191 to 1189 BC, this number appears to be more likely to be two full years instead today. Excavation work by the University of Arizona on her mortuary temple at Gournah strongly suggests that it was completed in her reign and that Twosret may have even started a regnal year 9 which means that she had 2 independent years of rule once one deducts the nearly 6 year reign of Siptah. Her royal name, Sitre Meryamun, means "Daughter of Re, beloved of Amun."