There are a lot of interesting places and architectural monuments in the city of Luxor. One of the most outstanding was and remains the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Usually, a visit to this temple is included in any sightseeing tour of Luxor, because a tour without visiting this place will be incomplete. Most often, the route is built in such a way that people come to the Temple of Hatshepsut after the Karnak and Luxor temple complexes.
Much has been written and told about the first and only female pharaoh Hatshepsut, but today I would like to talk about the Temple erected in her honor. I must say that the Temple impresses with its size and architecture.
Having approached the territory of the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the car had to be left far enough from the temple itself. A small vehicle is brought to the temple itself, referred to by the locals as a "tuk-tuk". You will have to pay for a tuk-tuk ride, otherwise you will have to walk long enough and in the heat.
The huge Temple carved into the rock with beautiful columns seems to return us to the times when the New Kingdom dynasty ruled, headed by a very interesting person - a woman who was the only female ruler of Ancient Egypt.
The daughter of Thutmose I, the great warrior, Hatshepsut did not want to share power with Thutmose III, removing him from the throne for 15 years, being his regent. According to one version, wanting to acquire the appearance of a Great King, Hatshepsut hides her chest with bandages and wore a false beard to go out "to the people".
According to tradition, a woman could not rule the country, but Hatshepsut masterfully used a bow and chariot, no worse than any warrior. During her reign, many Temples and architectural monuments were built. In general, according to some historical sources, Hatshepsut was a very interesting and unusual, strong personality!
According to one version, the Temple in Deir el-Bahri was built by Hatshepsut's lover, the architect Senmut. There is no exact information about the love affair, but if you are interested, you can read about the female pharaoh in the works of Paulina Gedge.
The temple at Deir el-Bahri consists of three huge terraces and ramps, with grandiose columns. After Thutmose III nevertheless ascended the throne, he ordered the erasure of all drawings, frescoes and inscriptions that would indicate the reign of Hatshepsut. On one of the terraces there are two sanctuaries dedicated to Anubis (a god with the head of a jackal - a guide to the afterlife) and Hathor (a goddess with a cow's head, personified the family hearth, family and children).
There is another interesting historical and scientific moment: Hatshepsut died at the age of about 50 from diseases. It was scientifically determined that she was quite overweight and had arthritis and unhealthy teeth. However, on the statues we see not a full, but a rather ordinary woman. At all times, women remain women...
Concluding the story about Hatshepsut, I want to tell you one more small historical fact. Scientists could not find the mummy of Hatshepsut for a long time, because during the reign of Ramses II, the royal tombs were often robbed and scientists thought that the queen's mummy was lost forever. However, in 2006, a well-known Egyptologist announced that the queen's mummy had been found! And oddly enough, it is stored in a museum in Cairo. For a long time, the mummy of Queen Hatshepsut was mistakenly considered the mummy of her milk-mother. Here is such an interesting story of the Great Woman who ruled the ancient civilization!
The temple of Queen Hatshepsut used to bear the name "Most Sacred". According to history, it was built for about 9 years. The queen chose a place for placing her temple next to the tomb of the great pharaoh Mentuhotep I, as if emphasizing the fact that Queen Hatshepsut has the full right to the throne. There may are several different versions of how exactly she ascended the throne, but all historians agree with the version that the reign of Hatshepsut was a period of prosperity for the empire.
Since many parts of the temple have been preserved, restoration work began in 1961. To this day, Polish restorers are working on restoration, collecting and recreating statues and all architectural elements and reliefs, one might say, bit by bit.
The temple is interesting and keeps a historical value and some kind of mystical atmosphere.
Of course, I recommend visiting this temple, but it is better to do it in the winter months. Luxor is a very hot city and in summer the temperature can be 50-52 degrees. Agree, not many will survive the tour in such heat. We were in Luxor in November of 2017, but even then it was a bit hot for us. And so, the place deserves your attention.
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Thank you for reading. You are always welcome to check my posts.
All photos are original.
"Do what is right, mot what is easy nor what is popular" - R. T. BENNETH.
