Puduḫepa

Puduḫepa was a Hittite queen who ruled alongside Hattušili III in the 13th century BCE. Her diplomacy included correspondence with Ramesses II and a role in the treaty between Egypt and Hatti.

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Hattušili III: Hattušili III was a Hittite king who ruled in the 13th century BCE alongside Queen Puduḫepa. Her husband and co-ruler, he shared the court through which she shaped Hittite policy.
Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty: The Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty was a 13th-century BCE agreement between Ramesses II and Hattušili III. Puduḫepa helped secure the diplomatic settlement that formalized peace between the two powers.
Hittite Empire: The Hittite Empire was a Late Bronze Age Anatolian state centered on Hattuša. Puduḫepa’s queenship and diplomacy operated within this empire’s political institutions.
Treaty of Kadesh: The Treaty of Kadesh was a peace agreement between Egypt and the Hittite Empire, concluded after their long conflict. Its surviving versions embody the reconciliation that Puduḫepa helped promote.
Hittite religion: Hittite religion was the polytheistic system of rituals and deities practiced in the Hittite world. Puduḫepa’s religious activity accompanied her political authority and reinforced her public role.
Ramesses II: Ramesses II was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty who ruled for most of the 13th century BCE. His diplomatic correspondence with Puduḫepa connected the Hittite queen directly to Egypt’s court.
Amarna letters: The Amarna letters are Bronze Age diplomatic correspondence preserved on clay tablets at the Egyptian city of Amarna. They provide an earlier comparison for the international letter-writing in which Puduḫepa participated.
Hattuša: Hattuša was the capital of the Hittite Empire, located near modern Boğazkale in Turkey. The capital was the setting for the royal administration and archives associated with her court.
Puduḫepa–Nefertari correspondence: The Puduḫepa–Nefertari correspondence is a set of diplomatic letters exchanged between the Hittite queen and Ramesses II’s principal wife. These letters show royal women addressing one another directly across state lines.
Hepat: Hepat was a major Hurrian goddess worshipped in the Hittite religious world. Puduḫepa promoted the cult of this goddess, linking royal authority with religious patronage.