The long–lost tomb of the ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti could finally be found, according to a leading archaeologist.
Widely considered one of the most powerful women in antiquity – as well as one of the most beautiful – Nefertiti was the wife of Akhenaten, who reigned from 1353 to 1336 BC and the stepmother of Tutankhamun.
Despite extensive historical evidence from her lifetime, the tomb of this enigmatic queen has never been found.
Now, Dr Zahi Hawass, Egyptologist and former Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, says he is 'close' to the groundbreaking discovery.
Dr Hawass made the bold prediction in a new documentary about his life, titled The Man with the Hat.
Speaking in the documentary, Dr Hawass claims to have narrowed down the hunt for Nefertiti's tomb to a small region in the east of the Valley of the Kings.
He says: 'If I made this discovery, I think I would be happy to end my career with the most important discovery of the most important queen of Egypt – Queen Nefertiti.
'This will lead us to the greatest discovery of the century.'
Now, Dr Zahi Hawass, Egyptologist and former Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, says he is 'close' to finding the tomb of Queen Nefertiti
Queen Nefertiti was a key member of Egyptian royalty through one of the ancient civilisation's most turbulent periods.
Pharaoh Akhenaten, who was both her husband and brother, caused enormous upheaval when he attempted to convert Egypt's polytheistic religion into a monotheistic sun–worshipping religion.
Nefertiti was also stepmother to Tutankhamun - also called Tutankhamen - whose legendary tomb was discovered in 1922, and mother to Tutankhamun's wife, Ankhesenamun.
Most strangely of all, Nefertiti herself is often depicted in ways that were traditionally reserved for the Pharaoh, such as reliefs showing her smiting enemies.
This has led some Egyptologists, including Dr Hawass, to believe that Nefertiti ruled as Pharaoh after her husband's death, taking on the new name Neferneferuaten.
Despite her immense power and wealth, no trace of Nefertiti's tomb has ever been found.
Dr Hawass now believes he is in a position to change that.
As one of Egypt's foremost archaeologists, Dr Hawass has spent years excavating in the Valley of the Kings – the ancient burial ground of Egypt's pharaohs and nobles.
Nefertiti was the wife of Akhenaten, who reigned from 1353 to 1336 BC and the stepmother of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. However, despite her immense power and wealth, her tomb has never been found. Pictured: A bust of Queen Nefertiti held in the Neues Museum in Berlin
He has previously found two tombs, dubbed KV 65 and KV 66, that had been plundered some time in the past.
Although these tombs don't shed any light on the location of Nefertiti's resting place, they show that there are still new discoveries to be made in the Valley of the Kings.
His team are currently excavating a region in the eastern Valley of the Kings, near the tomb of Hatshepsut, another powerful female pharaoh who reigned between 1479 and 1458 BC.
Dr Hawass told Live Science: 'I'm hoping that this could be the tomb of Queen Nefertiti.'
He adds that the work is continuing and 'this discovery could happen soon'.
If her tomb is discovered, the details of Neferititi's burial could reveal whether she was treated as a pharaoh at the time of her death, solving one of ancient Egypt's greatest mysteries.
However, this is not the first time that researchers have claimed to be close to this incredible find.
In 2015, British archaeologist Dr Nicholas Reeves claimed to have found the tomb hidden behind a secret doorway in Tutankhamun's tomb.
Dr Hawass believes that Tutankhamun's stepmother was likely buried in a region of the eastern Valley of Kings, and hopes to find the tomb 'soon'. If he makes this discovery, it could be a find on a level with that of Tutankhamun's burial goods (pictured)
This is not the first time archaeologists have claimed to have found Nefertiti. In 2022, researchers claimed that a mummified woman found in a 'mummy cache' (pictured) was Nefertiti, but later DNA analysis showed that this was not the case
High–resolution scans of the walls of King Tutankhamun’s burial chamber seemed to have revealed hidden passages behind the plaster.
He claimed that one of these doorways opened into a continuation of the young king's tomb, where Dr Reeves claimed Nefertiti was buried.
However, years of additional study revealed that the supposed chambers simply were not there.
Later, in 2022, researchers claimed to have found the mummified remains of Nefertiti inside a 'mummy cache', where later Egyptians had hidden mummies from tomb robbers.
But subsequent DNA evidence, gathered by Dr Hawass and his team, confirmed that this was actually the mother of Tutankhamun, making her one of Akhenaten's other wives.
Dr Hawass himself has not been immune to Nefertiti excitement, having announced in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 that he would soon find the missing queen.
'The Man With The Hat' is streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
WERE KING TUTANKHAMUN'S PARENTS ALSO COUSINS?
The complex family arrangements of Tutankhamun has been one of the great mysteries surrounding the young king.
While his father was known to have been Pharaoh Akhenaten, the identity of his mother has been far more elusive.
DNA testing has shown that Queen Tiye, whose mummy is pictured above, was the grandmother of the Egyptian Boy King Tutankhamun
In 2010 DNA testing confirmed a mummy found in the tomb of Amenhotep II was Queen Tiye, the chief wife of Amenhotep III, mother of Pharaoh Akhenanten, and Tutankhamun's grandmother.
A third mummy, thought to be one of Pharaoh Akhenaten wives, was found to be a likely candidate as Tutankhamun's mother, but DNA evidence showed it was Akhenaten's sister.
Later analysis in 2013 suggested Nefertiti, Akhenaten's chief wife, was Tutankhamun's mother.
However, the work by Marc Gabolde, a French archaeologist, has suggested Nefertiti was also Akhenaten's cousin.
This incestuous parentage may also help to explain some of the malformations that scientists have discovered afflicted Tutankhamun.
He suffered a deformed foot, a slightly cleft palate and mild curvature of the spine.
However, his claims have been disputed by other Egyptologists, including Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
His team's research suggests that Tut's mother was, like Akhenaten, the daughter of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye.
Hawass added that there is 'no evidence' in archaeology or philology to indicate that Nefertiti was the daughter of Amenhotep III.