- Ancient Egypt was a powerful civilization protected by deserts and sustained by the Nile River. Their religion, which focused on the afterlife, influenced all aspects of society including grand architecture. - Hatshepsut was the first female pharaoh of Egypt. To legitimize her rule, she ordered the construction of a magnificent mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri to prove her divine right to rule as a pharaoh after death. - Hatshepsut's temple was skillfully designed and built over 15 years to represent her status as a god-king and ensure her worship even after death, solidifying her place as a rightful pharaoh through impressive architecture.

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Ancient Egypt has proved itself to be a fascinating mystery to evolving civilizations since
its imminent fall and decay. This empire is known for being one of the most successful and
powerful forces ever to inhabit the earth. Egypt was protected by desert barriers and restricted by
the Nile river, which provided life and growth once a year during its expected flooding. The
prosperity of Ancient Egypt came not only through their geographical placement, but with their
religion as well. The obsession with life after inevitable death projected onto the entire society
and into the daily lives of those that were under the king’s rule. One of the more apparent ways
this belief was arranged to be noticed was that of their grand and immediately recognizable art
and architecture. Resources for grand blueprint projects were easily accessible due to the
availability of good and strong stone, whereas other civilizations at this point in time such as
Mesopotamia, had the need to import their stone. The innovative Egyptians quickly learned to
cut blocks, which led to the creation of many structures of grandeur. Some of these buildings can
be easily identified as those who generated these great structures, such as, the Great Pyramids at
Giza and the Sphinx. As time, experience, and knowledge continued to move forward, it became
even more apparent that the Egyptian architectural influence on civilizations to come was one of
the most pivotal eras of importance in the ancient world. As the era of the New Kingdom
approached, the changes that a certain untraditional pharaoh, named Hatshepsut, would make
would then develop Egypt into an even greater power. This self-proclaimed queen of the
Egyptian kingdom produced some of the most centrally important architecture that had ever
come from the entire civilization.
Hatshepsut was the eldest of the two daughters of King Thutmose I and his queen Ahmes.
When Hatshepsut was approaching the age of twelve in 1479 B.C., she married her half-brother
born of a secondary wife to her father, Thutmose II. She then became queen of Egypt. However,

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when Thutmose II died, it was an appropriate custom that she immediately begin acting as regent
for her stepson, Thutmose III, who was only a small child at this point in time (History n.d.).i
Hatshepsut commenced handling affairs of the empire until her step-son came of age to do so for
himself. There is not much detail on how this event occurred; however, after about seven years
as acting regent of the state, Hatshepsut took the uncommon step of assuming the title and all of
the full and necessary powers of a pharaoh herself. This brought her to become the co-ruler of
Egypt alongside Thutmose III. There is no evidence as to why this occurred, but there is
controversy on the issue. Some historians will state that it was simply the queen’s ambition that
drove her to complete power. Other scholars testify that the move was more due to a possible
political crisis, a possibility that she may have been a game piece acting to save the throne for the
rightly heir, her stepson (History n.d.).ii
Although the technicalities behind the event of Hatshepsut’s assimilation to the throne
and her general rule are unknown, historians do believe that the power that she possessed was
extremely out of the ordinary and even somewhat controversial. To have a female as the ruler
over one of the most powerful empires on earth was not only uncommon, but had never been
done before. In result of this feeling, which was widespread throughout ancient Egypt,
Hatshepsut did everything in her power to defend her position as ruler over the people of this
great nation. Hatshepsut continually sought to reinvent her image though various different ways
in order to prove her seat as legitimate and even sacred. Hatshepsut proved that she was not only
a force to not be reckoned with, but she informed the people of the nation that she was not lesser
of a god than past pharaohs. She did this tactfully, mainly through the use of architecture, and the
art that was placed inside of these great structures that became known as mortuary temples. She

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was determined to acquaint the people of Egypt with her divine order and right to be ruler of the
great civilization.
During the reign of Hatshepsut, most likely between the seventh and twenty-second years
of her formal rule, she ordered the construction of her own mortuary temple. Mortuary temples
in the ancient Egyptian period were places of worship for a king who had since passed on to the
next life. The complex was not only a place of final resting, but an area where the court and
appointed priests of the pharaoh would ritually place items that were needed by the king in the
next life, such as food and helpful tools. In Ancient Egypt, the king was both a political and
religious leader, but it was not until the second dynasty of Egypt that the pharaoh was known as
being a literal divine figure. He was known as the “Lord of Two Lands,” which was a term that
is a reference towards the unification of the split regions along the Nile of Upper and Lower
Egypt. He was to fully participate in the secular affairs such as law giving and national defense,
and also the religious affairs, which consisted of performing ceremonies and acting as an apt god
for the people. From the time of King Raneb and continuing from then on, the rulers of the
nation of Egypt were definitely equated with gods and important deities (Mark 2009).iii The
pharaoh was completely known as a god on earth, an absolute mediator between the gods and the
people. When the king passed on to the other side, they were believed to become the god Osiris,
or the god of the dead. Thus, building great monumental mortuary temples for themselves was an
obvious direction to obtain when trying to access a godly image.
Egyptian temples represented a progression of man back into the presence of the
pertaining god, thus making the temple itself more or less the house of the god. It was an
architectural symbol of the entire universe throughout the eternities. This was also a place where
rituals were performed, which included the daily care of the chosen god, the purification of

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oneself and their soul, the reenactment of the creation and the soul’s eternal progression, and the
endowment of spiritual knowledge and divine power. The building and architectural layout of the
temple was meant to fully encompass the will of the gods with the pharaoh and his appointed
religious priests. This was no different with the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, meaning that it
is meant for Hatshepsut and her journey into the afterlife, but also a dedication to the funerary
goddess Hathor.
The decision made by Hatshepsut to build this temple was a strategic way for her to
prove her rightful position to the throne and as ruler of Egypt. The development of the Mortuary
Temple of Hatshepsut was overseen by a man named Senemut, who was Hatshepsut’s royal
architect (The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri 2015).iv Some even question that
Senemut was also a lover next to being her grand designer for her new temple. As stated
previously, Egypt had great access to stone, which provided them with exceptional usages for
constructing complexes such as this. However, Hatshepsut took yet another demonstrative
position as she decided to build her temple at Deir el-Bahari, which is due west of the capital of
Thebes. This is also the same location that the pharaoh Mentuhotep II of the eleventh dynasty
had formerly built his great mortuary temple. This was yet another statement made by the queen
that she was the appropriate heir to the throne. However, this location could have been chosen
because of its distinct religiously in tune location. The ancient Egyptians considered the valley of
Deir el-Bahari to be sacred for its connection to the goddess Hathor (The Temple of Hatshepsut
at Deir El Bahri n.d.).v The formation of the temple took about fifteen years to complete, but the
outcome was an outstandingly beautiful building that has remained one of the most remarkable
structures up to today. The final development was a monument that allowed the continual
worship of Hatshepsut as a ruler and monarch, the pharaoh, and essentially a god. This was a

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declaration of her divine situation, meaning that she would not only be acknowledged as eternal
in this life, but would continue as such, as any pharaoh would, regardless of gender, as a divine
ruler throughout the next life. The Ancient Egyptians knew this temple to be called Djeser
Djeseru, or holy of holiest. The name given to this commemoration is another evidence that
Hatshepsut wanted nothing more than for the people of her kingdom to accept her as a deity. The
positioning and the shaping of this great structure was impressive to say the least, however, there
are many unnamed reasons for the necessity of the construction. I have mentioned beforehand
the various purposes of a mortuary temple, but Hatshepsut was sure to make herself clear with
other aspects that made this temple so unique.
The Temple of Hatshepsut sits directly against a colossus natural rock formation, which
is quickly recognizable as the geographical characteristics of the Valley of the Kings. The
gigantic cliffs in the background of the temple creates a sense that they are a type of replacement
of a less natural statement of grandeur, such as a pyramid. The temple is partly a rock-cut
structure and partly a free-standing terrace structure (Baines and Malek 2002).vi The temple is
built quite similarly to that of King Mentuhotep, but it is broader which then gives a sense of
line, rather than the more cramped style of the previous dynasties. It is a perfect harmony
between physical human experiment and the natural geographical area. The exterior architecture
of the temple gives a certain clue to historians that queen Hatshepsut and her grand architect
were receiving the majority of their design ideas from other mortuary temples and tombs in the
Valley of the Kings, not just Mentuhotep’s. For example, it is up for question whether
architectural plans were changed and turned to the elongated terraces, giving slight evidence that
there is a connection between the building of Ahmose and Hatshepsut’s temple plans (Smith
1998).vii Queen Hatshepsut decides to build this structure in the style and structure of the kings

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of the Old Kingdom. This is another statement of individuality and rightful leadership that she
gives to her nation. She and her vizier Senemut take characteristics of other mortuary temples
and put them all together in order to complete hers.
It is apparent that the plans were well contemplated and thought of in the highest regard
and skillful profession. The skill comes into play as the rectangular supports and polygonal
channeled columns, various statuary, and painted relief decoration adorn the exterior of the
temple. The curb appeal to the space would have been well groomed as well. Trees, flowerbeds,
statues of gods and Hatshepsut herself, and the iconic sphinxes would have impressively covered
the area as well. There also would have been a causeway leading up to the temple, just as any
other Egyptian temple. The causeways usually measured some thirty-seven meters wide and one
hundred feet long, and were of course lined with sphinxes (Baines and Malek 2002).viii The
causeway eventually led to three courts at three separate levels, approached by ramps and
distinguished by colonnades which protected the tediously painted reliefs. Although they are not
still remaining today, there also would have stood pylons and two obelisks just before the ramp.
The pylons were perfectly aligned so the sun would rise exactly in between them, representing
renewal and rebirth with the new day. Located on the right side of the ramp and up until the third
floor are some of the most interesting depictions of Hatshepsut’s origin. On the obelisks and
throughout the birth colonnade, there are painted relief scenes of the divine birth and coronation
of queen Hatshepsut (Hill 2010).ix J. Hill excellently explains the story of Hatshepsut’s divine
origin as she says:
“In these depictions, Amun-Ra appears with the unborn Hatshepsut and then with her mother,
Queen Ahmose, in the form of Hatshepsut’s father, Thuthmosis I. Amun then impregnates the

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queen with his divine breath and then reveals his true nature and foretells that Hatshepsut will rule
Egypt. Amun-Ra then visits Khnum to instruct him to create Hatshepsut’s body. A heavily
pregnant Queen Ahmose is led to the birthing chamber by Hequet and Khnum where she is then
assisted by Meskhenet. In the final scenes, the newborn Hatshepsut and her Ka, or spirit, are
suckled by twin Hathors while Seshat records her birth.” (Hill 2010)x
The reliefs that were so exquisitely painted throughout these colonnades was another
acknowledgement of Hatshepsut’s divine greatness and success. It was a proclamation of her
original divine order that was given to her even before mortality. Ancient Egyptian gods that
were worshiped by the people, such as Khnum (the god of the Nile River and renewal), Hequet
(the goddess of fertility), Hathor (the goddess of motherhood), and Meskhenet (the goddess of
childbirth). This illustrated story was evidence to the people of the Egyptian kingdom that their
pharaoh, Queen Hatshepsut, was expected and even appointed by the gods to be the ruler of
Egypt. If her father was a god, according to depicted story, then Hatshepsut was the rightful heir
to the throne. This was another statement of her divine authority despite her gender.
Hatshepsut continued to use relief in architecture to prove her divine worthiness to be the
ruler of Egypt. One colonnade that is arranged on the left hand side of the ramp going
progressing upwards into the third level shows an event during Hatshepsut’s rule that was pivotal
to her success. What is known as the ‘Punt Colonnade’ shows an expedition that was led by
Hatshepsut into the land of Punt. Punt, or “the land of the god,” is believed to be located to the
southeast of Egypt, or modern day Ethiopia and the Red Sea coast of Sudan (Eaton 2015).xi The
land of Punt was known for producing and exporting goods and treasures such as gold, ebony,
ivory, aromatic resins, and even wild animals. This particular expedition was depicted as a great

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advancement and was commemorated as such by way of the relief painting. The reliefs show the
Egyptian party departing their home in boats and arriving in the land of Punt. A rather small
group of expeditioners set up camp as the people of Punt accept them into their land. This is a
non-violent scene of peace, and no fighting is necessary. The chief or king and his wife welcome
the Egyptians by stating:
“How have you arrived at this land unknown to the men of Egypt? How have you come down
from the roads of the Heavens? Or have you navigated the sea of Ta-nuter? You must have
followed the path of the sun. As for the King of Egypt, there is no road which is inaccessible to
His Majesty; we live by the breath he grants to us.” (Hill 2010)xii
The Chief of Punt, who was known as Parahu, and his obese depicted wife are then
acquainted with an Egyptian officer, who then holds a feast for the people of Punt, who then in
turn rewards them with incense, gold, and other precious gems. In the last scenes, the expedition
finally returns back to Egypt with all of their granted precious cargo which consists of thirty-one
incense trees, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, malachite, cattle, panthers, baboons, and other animals.
Hatshepsut then holds a procession to the Temple of Amun-Ra, her self-proclaimed father, where
sacrifices are made and the treasures are given to the temple. These artistic depictions of the
expedition into the land of Punt are sources of a prime example of things Queen Hatshepsut
initiated in order for her people to accept her as a legitimate divine figure. This is a story of
Hatshepsut bringing peace, order, and prosperity to the Egyptian nation (Woldering 1963).xiii This
is an action that is in likeness to the gods, showing that she is not only the rightful and preconceived

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heir born from and chosen by a god, but she is also a political figure that has brought success to
the land of Egypt.
As already mentioned, the area pertaining to Deir el Bahri was directly associated with the
goddess Hathor, who was one of the main gods of the Theban necropolis. This goddess was usually
shown as a cow, but represented love, music, and beauty, a perfect variation to be perceived as a
legitimate female ruler. Hathor must have had a close connection with Hatshepsut because the
Hathor chapel to this complex is located on the south end of the second level colonnade.
Unfortunately, the chapel is not in the shape it was even one hundred years ago, but it would have
had its own entrance ramp which would then include its own hypostyle hall with twelve delicately
carved Hathor-headed columns. Only a small number of those columns still remain in tact today.
In the chapel, there are a number of animation of Hatshepsut, one which includes Hatshepsut
dancing for the goddess Hathor and then is seated between Hathor herself and Amun-Ra. There is
another depiction of Hathor personally nursing and protecting Queen Hatshepsut. This is another
evidence of Hatshepsut’s rightful power and acceptance of the gods. The more sacred parts of the
chapel include a sanctuary, where many rituals took place. This part of the grand structure is
directly cut into the rocky, iconic hillside. In the corner of one of its niches, in an irregular area,
there is a portrait of Senemut, the architect of the temple. This is a very unusual depiction of
Egyptian art. Placing a high dignitary instead of a god, goddess, or pharaoh not only on a wall, but
in a sacred area. Just opposite of the Hathor Chapel sits the Anubis Chapel, a smaller, but just as
impressive chapel with similar features such as the hypostyle hall with twelve channeled columns
that reach up to a high ceiling. However, all of the depictions of Hatshepsut have been erased from
the picture. One example shows a scene of Anubis, the god of mummification and the afterlife,

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receiving offerings from the queen, but her face has since been scratched away. The most believed
culprit of this act is Thuthmosis III.
The first noticeable feature on the third level of the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut are the
grand statues of Horus, the god associated with the pharaoh and one of the names he takes upon,
in his iconic falcon form which line the ramp that flows the second level courtyard to the third
level. The third floor holds a portico with dual rows of columns that face the front (The Temple of
Hatshepsut at Deir El Bahri n.d.).xiv Behind these columns there sits another courtyard with
multiple chambers coming off of it. This is where there are enormous statues of Queen Hatshepsut
face outwards on the edge, while octagonal shaped columns are placed along the inside quarters.
There is a central doorway which leads back to a court full of columns that leads to a chapel
dedicated to the royal cult on the left and then a chapel dedicated to the solar cult on the right. In
the royal chapel, a handful of gods, Thutmosis I, and Queen Senseneb, his mother, are all shown
in the decorations. In the solar chapel, Hatshepsut, Raneferu her daughter, and Tuthmosis III are
shown kneeling. When the pharaoh, or leaders of the kingdom of Egypt are shown kneeling, it is
because they are kneeling to a god, because that it the only thing more important than themselves
as a god. Hatshepsut and members of her family are presenting offerings before the barque of
Amun-Re. A barque was a royal boat that was used to transport the statue of the encompassed god.
It was always placed in the holiest of the rooms within the temple. The Egyptians believed that the
god would literally take its place within the barque. Thus, the barque of Amun-Re, or who
Hatshepsut would have acquainted the people with as her literal father, was believed to dwell
within the temple itself. Again, due to unfortunate circumstances, the images of Hatshepsut have
been blotted out and replaced with images of Thuthmosis III. Even images of the god Amun have
been destroyed. There was also once a limestone altar to Horemakhet, a god that symbolized the

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dawn and the early morning sun, that was stationed in the solar chapel, however that has also since
been destroyed.
All evidence points to the farthest back room, or the Sanctuary of Amun, as the most sacred
area of the temple. Again, because of the position of the room, it was also cut into the living rock
and then aligned precisely so that it faces towards Hatshepsut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings,
thus connecting once again the intimate relationship between Hatshepsut and the most worshiped
god at the time, Amun. Because of this creation of the unique relationship between the two, it is
said that she had a tremendous affect on the ancient Egyptian religion as a whole. “Hatshepsut was
pursuing this in support of her own search for power, yet she did manage to determine the
subsequent history of Amun and perhaps make a contribution to the development of religion,” says
Katherine Eaton from the Journal of the American Oriental Society. (Eaton 2015).xv The grandeur
of this temple was much more than merely an impressive structure, but rather that of political
purposes and theological reasoning for the specified ruler Queen Hatshepsut.
The architecture that has been created throughout the ages of history has impressed and
even inspired others to do the same, and then expand the realms of their abilities into a grander
scale. In today’s society there is much that is reminiscent of the evidential culture of the ancient
Egyptians and their rulers. The reign of Queen Hatshepsut is known today as one of the most
controversial and yet tactful regimes ever produced. Her decision to annex her father’s work to
have a strong military force resulted in her famous public relations skills with other kingdoms.
Hatshepsut’s administration, accepted or not by her people, was highly reliable on the architecture
constituted and the art that was chosen to be placed within those walls. The political drive of
Hatshepsut was a catalyst for what was architecturally produced during her reign. Whether the
subjects of Queen Hatshepsut accepted her as their ruler or not is only a minor variable compared

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to the accomplishments she attained during her rule. The most important example of this is her
drive to imprint in the Egyptians minds her role as both pharaoh and a literal god on earth. The
temple of Hatshepsut was not only an amazing accomplishment during the ancient Egyptian
period, but also a structure that would physically and theologically be preserved throughout the
history of time.

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Notes
i History n.d.
ii History n.d.
iii Mark 2009
iv The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri 2015
v The Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir El Bahari
vi Baines and Malek 2002
vii Smith 1998
viii Baines and Malek 2002
ix Hill 2010
x Hill 2010
xi Eaton 2015
xii Hill 2010
xiii Woldering 1963
xiv The Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir El Bahri
xv Eaton 201

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