Gilukhipa

Gilukhipa, or more probable Kilu-Hepa in Hurrian language, in the Egyptian language Kirgipa (fl. early 14th c. BCE), was the daughter of Shuttarna II, king of Mitanni. She was the sister of Tushratta (later King of Mitanni), Biria-Waza and Artashumara.

Gilukhipa
Queen of Egypt
Princess of Mitanni
SpouseAmenhotep III
FatherShuttarna II
Gilukhipa in hieroglyphs
[1]
Kirgipa (kyrgypɜ)
The sun goddess Hepa is my strength

Biography

For political reasons, Gilukhipa was sent to Egypt to join Amenhotep III in marriage. The Egyptian pharaoh made a special issue of commemorative scarabs on the occasion of his marriage to Gilukhipa in his 10th regnal year (ca.1378–1376 BCE), where he recorded that the princess was escorted by 317 ladies-in-waiting, women from the Mitanni king's royal palace.[2] Gilukhipa became known as the "Secondary King's Wife," meaning she was secondary to Amenhotep III's chief wife, Queen Tiye.

Twenty-six years later, her niece Tadukhepa also became Amenhotep's wife.

References
  1. Wolfgang Helck, Urkunden der 18. Dynastie 1957, p. 1738
  2. Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson (2004), p.154
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