Gilukhipa

Gilukhipa in hieroglyphs
[1] Kirgipa (kyrgypɜ) The sun goddess Hepa is my strength

Gilukhipa
Other names	Kirgipa, Kilu-Hepa
Occupation	Queen of Egypt
Spouse(s)	Amenhotep III
Parent(s)	Shuttarna II

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

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, 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