Pharaohs in the context of "Abydos, Egypt"

Women in ancient Egypt had some special rights other women did not have in other comparable societies. They could own property and were, at court, legally equal to men. However, Ancient Egypt was a patriarchal society dominated by men. Only a few women are known to have important positions in administration, though there were female rulers and even female pharaohs. Women at the royal court gained their positions by relationships to male kings.

This is a list of current and former female monarchs regardless of title, including queens regnant, empresses regnant, pharaohs and monarchs by other titles (grand duchess, princess, etc.). Consorts, such queens consort (i.e. spouses of male monarchs) are not included, see list of current consorts of sovereigns. Female regents are not included, see list of regents.

The following is an incomplete list of women monarchs who are well known from popular writings, although many ancient and poorly documented ruling monarchs (such as those from Africa and Oceania) are omitted. Section 1 lists monarchs who ruled in their own right, such as queens regnant. Section 2 lists legendary monarchs. Section 3 lists monarchs who ruled in their own right, but had no official legal recognition while in power. Section 4 lists various female rulers who were referred to with the title "Chieftainess." Regents, such as queens regent, are not monarchs and are not included in this page. Page does include claimants and anti-rulers whose recognition among their subjects and legitimacy as monarchs are disputed.

The tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 by excavators led by the Egyptologist Howard Carter, more than 3,300 years after Tutankhamun's death and burial. Whereas the tombs of most pharaohs were plundered by graverobbers in ancient times, Tutankhamun's tomb was hidden by debris for most of its existence and therefore not extensively robbed. It thus became the only known near-intact royal burial from ancient Egypt.

The tomb was opened beginning on 4 November 1922 during an excavation by Carter and his patron, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. The burial consisted of more than five thousand objects, many of which were in a highly fragile state, so conserving the burial goods for removal from the tomb required an unprecedented effort. The opulence of the burial goods inspired a media frenzy and popularised ancient Egyptian-inspired designs with the Western public. To the Egyptians, who had recently become partially independent of British rule, the tomb became a symbol of national pride, strengthening Pharaonism, a nationalist ideology that emphasised modern Egypt's ties to the ancient civilisation, and creating friction between Egyptians and the British-led excavation team. The publicity surrounding the excavation intensified when Carnarvon died of an infection, giving rise to speculation that his death and other misfortunes connected with the tomb were the result of an ancient curse.

In ancient Egypt, it was standard for pharaohs to be worshipped posthumously as transfigured beings amongst the royal ancestors. This was generally performed in the form of a mortuary cult. During the pharaoh's lifetime, they were generally recognized as having divine properties, in accordance with imperial cult government. However, it was exceedingly rare for a pharaoh to have a cultic devotion of worshippers during the pharaoh's lifetime. Such followers regarded the pharaoh’s divine status as equivalent to that of a true deity. Amongst the indigenous ancient egyptian dynasties, this was usually resultant of a successful self-deification attempt substantiated by military accomplishment. Pharaoh Amenhotep III is the exception to this military substantiation custom, as his deification was substantiated via political leadership.