Yuya

King's father-in-law, reign of Amenophis III, 1417-1379 BC.

    Tiye, the daughter of Yuya and *Thuya, became the chief queen of *Amenophis III, and they are mentioned as the queen's parents in inscriptions on two commemorative scarabs from the reign of *Amenophis III. Yuya came from the town of Akhmim, where he probably held estates and where he was Prophet of Min, the chief god of the area, and Superintendent of Cattle. He also held important positions at Court as 'King's Lieutenant' and 'Master of the Horse', and his title of 'Father-of-the-god' may have referred specifically to his role as the king's father-in-law.

    The tomb belonging to Yuya and his wife was discovered in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes in 1905 by J.E.Quibell, who was working on behalf of Theodore M.Davis. Although it had been entered, the tomb-robbers were perhaps disturbed, and Quibell found the funerary goods and the two mummies virtually intact. The mummy of Yuya showed that he had been a man of taller than average stature, and the anatomist G.Elliot Smith considered that his appearance was not typically Egyptian, which, together with his unusual name, led to speculation that he was of foreign origin. This has never been proved, but it is conceivable that he had some *Mitannian ancestry, since it is known that knowledge of horses and chariotry was introduced into Egypt from the northern lands and Yuya was the king's 'Master of the Horse'.

    One possibility is that Yuya was the brother of Queen *Mutemweya, who may have had *Mitannian royal origins, and it has also been suggested that he may have been closely linked with *Ay. They both came from Akhmim, held similar titles, and had names that may show some association. The theory that Yuya could be identified with *Ay and *Thuya with *Ay's wife, Tey, is chronologically impossible, but *Ay may have been Yuya's son and the brother of Queen *Tiye and of Anen (who held a high position in the Temple of Amun at Karnak). Since there is no conclusive evidence, the family connections between these people must remain speculative.

BIBL. Quibell, J.E. The Tomb of Yuaa and Thuiu. Cairo: 1908; Aldred, C Akhenaten, King of Egypt. London: 1988; Davis, T.M., Maspero, G. and Newberry, P.E. The Tomb of Iouiya and Touiyou. London: 1907.

Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Rosalie and Antony E. David

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(fl. 1390–1360 BC)

   High official. Father of Tiy and father-inlaw of Amenhotep III. He and his wife, Tuya, were given the honor of a tomb in the Valley of the Kings, which was discovered intact in 1905. Their mummies and funerary equipment are now in the Cairo Egyptian Museum.

Historical Dictionary Of Ancient Egypt by Morris L. Bierbrier