Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple at Deir el Bahri dominates the West Bank
at Luxor, Egypt.
Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmosis I, the wife (probable
half-sister) and Queen of Thutmosis II and step-mother and co-regent
of Thutmosis III. Hatshepsut was Pharaoh during the 18th Dynasty
of the New Kingdom. Hatshepsut was pictured as Pharaoh in her mortuary
temple and Deir el Bahri and other monuments. She ruled for twenty-two
year. When she died, Thutmosis III supervised Hatshepsut's burial
in the Valley of the Kings.
In the years after her reign, her successors defaced the temple at Deir
el Bahri and monuments she built, selectively removing her name or replacing
it with their own. It is not known if Thutmosis III ordered the actual
defacement out of anger at her assumption of power during his youth. There
is some archeological evidence that the defacement of Hatshepsut's Temple
at Deir el Bahri took place 20 years after her death-- a long time to
hold a grudge. Thutmosis III ruled for thirty-three years in his own right.
Scenes of the voyage to Punt where located
on the bottom tier of the Mortuary Temple at Deir El Bahri.
The Temple at Deir el Bahri served as a record of the major events of
Hatshepsut's reign. There are scenes depicting a trading expedition to
Punt and the quarrying of the two obelisks she commissioned for Karnak,one
of which still stands today. There are also scenes of her coronation.
This is the stele commemorating the installation
of the obelisks, showing Hatshepsut on the left.
Hathor columns of the shrine of Hathor. Located on the south side of
the second level. The rock cut shrine behind the columns is believed to
be more ancient that the Temple.
Osiride statue of the queen on the upper terrace.
Painted relief showing offering to Horus. Click through to larger
picture and note the ceiling decoration.
Painted relief showing Feast table.
Relief showing young queen being suckled by Hathor cow.
The unfinished tomb of Senenmut,
the architect of the Great Temple, is located nearby. The above view was
taken from it's entrance. The Penguin Guide suggests that you
can ask for special arrangements to see the tomb. We did ask one of the
guards who, for a small fee, fetched the keys and took us over to the
tomb. For details
of the Tomb of Senenmut....