Archaeology & History

Dr. Zahi Hawass claims that he is close to finding Queen Nefertiti's tomb

By T.K. Randall
January 19, 2026

Image: Bust of Queen Nefertiti
Credit: Rüdiger Stehn / CC BY-SA 2.0 (adapted) Famed for her beauty, Queen Nefertiti was a prominent figure in ancient Egypt's 18th Dynasty and reigned for years alongside her husband - the Pharaoh Akhenaten.

When he died, some experts believe that she may have continued to rule for a time under the name Neferneferuaten before the young Tutankhamen took over.

Over the years there have been many efforts to locate the tomb of Queen Nefertiti, but so far archaeologists have been unable to conclusively determine the whereabouts of her remains.

One man who has been hell-bent on finding her tomb is archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, formerly of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Speaking in a new documentary about his life entitled The Man with the Hat, Dr. Hawass maintains that he is close to finding Nefertiti's tomb and that he has narrowed down its location to a small region to the east of the Valley of the Kings."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," he said.

"This will lead us to the greatest discovery of the century."

Hawass isn't the only archaeologist out to find her tomb either - back in 2015, Nicholas Reeves indicated that there could be a hidden chamber behind the walls of Tutankhamen's tomb in which the mummy of Nefertiti might be found, which at the time lead to renewed interest in the search.

Sadly, though, scans of the tomb seemed to discount the presence of such a chamber.

With time running out for Hawass, it remains to be seen if he can succeed where others have failed.

The Man with the Hat is available to watch from today on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video in the US.

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Zahi Hawass, Egypt, Nefertiti