Hatshepsut’s Temple

Hatshepsut’s Temple Hatshepsut’s temple is located beneath the cliffs of the Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile River near the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. It is known as one of the most beautiful of the royal mortuary temples in the world due to its design and artwork. Designed by Senemut, in 15th century b.c. , the temple was constructed for Queen Hatshepsut. She was the first female pharaoh. The temple was built to honor her achievements during her rule and also to serve as her mortuary temple. It was also constructed as a sanctuary to honor the sun god, Amon Ra, who Queen Hatsheptut claimed welcomed her to the thrown after the death of her husband Thutmos II. The temple took 15 years to complete. It was constructed between the 7th and 22nd years of the queen’s rule. The structure was constructed of limestone, unlike others in its time that were constructed of sandstone. It had a very long colonnaded terrace that deviated from the center of the structure. The reason for this was caused by the central location of the burial chamber. The structure itself has 3 layered terraces that reach 97 feet tall. Each story was made up of a double colonnade of square piers.
Beautiful artwork filled the temple. Many pieces of art depicted the life and accomplishments of Queen Hatshepsut. There was one specific piece of artwork that depicted how the Queen had expanded trading and relations during her rule. The scene was located in the 2nd terrace. It was the queen’s journey to Punt. This journey was the first trade expedition that was ever recorded and discovered in ancient Egypt.
The temple also reflects the conflict that there was between Queen Hatshepsut and her nephew/sonin law, Tuthmosis III. He took rule after her mysterious death. He despised her for the very reason that he believed that he was to be next in line for the thrown after his father, Tuthmosis II passed. He did not believe that a woman could be a successful pharaoh. So, after taking