Queen Puabi ruled the Mesopotamian city-state of Ur around 2500 B.C. She died around 4,500 years ago, during the First Dynasty of Ur. Inscriptions on the cylinder seal found in her tomb do not mention her husband, suggesting that she ruled in her own right.
Queen Tiye reigned during Egypt’s 18th dynasty, wife of the pharaoh Amenhotep III. For nearly half of a century, Tiye governed Kemet, regulated her trade, and protected her borders. She’s regarded as one of the most influential queens ever to rule Kemet.
The Sumerian King List produced the first known female ruler: Kubaba. was a Mesopotamian queen who ruled in the early days of the third dynasty of Kish during 2500–2330 B.C. Many monarchs make an appearance on the Sumerian King List, but Kubaba, or Kug-Bau was the only woman ruler.
Sobekneferu is considered the first recorded female king of Egypt and last pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty. The daughter of Pharaoh Amenemhat III she reigned 3 years, 10 months and 24 days according to the Turin Canon. On her death the 12th Dynasty ended, and the Middle Kingdom Period ceased. To date, no burial place has ever been located.
