Queen Hatshepsut
BRIEF HISTORY
Queen Hatshepsut (the Foremost of Women) was the first great woman in recorded history: the forerunner of such figures as Cleopatra, Elisabeth I Tudor and Catherine the Great. The eldest daughter of King Tuthmosis and Queen Ahmose, she learned much of the art of ruling the country from her father with whom she had a special bond. She outlived her siblings and, after the death of her father, she became a queen of Egypt and ruled together with her half-brother-husband, Tuthmosis II. Together they ruled Egypt for fourteen years.When Tuthmosis died Hatshepsut assumed the duties of a co-regent together with her minor step-son Tuthmosis III. Within three years she crowned herself as a queen and started building a wealthy and powerful state. Hatshepsut's reign was one of a peace and prosperity for Egypt. There were few military endeavors during her reign, but most of her efforts went toward building projects. These had a two-fold purpose, the first, of course was erecting temples and chapels dedicated to various Gods, which pleased people greatly.
The second purpose was a personal propaganda. Whoever had the power to erect stone buildings also had the power to beautify them with inscriptions and paintings. Words written in stone to the Egyptian masses were considered truthful and magical. Hatshepsut used this tool to legitimize her ascension to the throne by claiming her father had proclaimed her his rightful heir instead of his son before his death. She also claimed that she was of divine descent and as such her reign is unquestionable. These claims were written in stone on the front panels of her mortuary temple, Djeser-Djeseru, that was built with great effort and attention to detail by a great architect, Senemut, her chief of court, tutor of her only child, and supposedly her lover.
Each day at dawn, the Sun rising over Thebes set the temple walls a glow and illuminated the hierogliphs that told of these things.
Besides many architectural
Queen Hatshepsut (the Foremost of Women) was the first great woman in recorded history: the forerunner of such figures as Cleopatra, Elisabeth I Tudor and Catherine the Great. The eldest daughter of King Tuthmosis and Queen Ahmose, she learned much of the art of ruling the country from her father with whom she had a special bond. She outlived her siblings and, after the death of her father, she became a queen of Egypt and ruled together with her half-brother-husband, Tuthmosis II. Together they ruled Egypt for fourteen years.When Tuthmosis died Hatshepsut assumed the duties of a co-regent together with her minor step-son Tuthmosis III. Within three years she crowned herself as a queen and started building a wealthy and powerful state. Hatshepsut's reign was one of a peace and prosperity for Egypt. There were few military endeavors during her reign, but most of her efforts went toward building projects. These had a two-fold purpose, the first, of course was erecting temples and chapels dedicated to various Gods, which pleased people greatly.
The second purpose was a personal propaganda. Whoever had the power to erect stone buildings also had the power to beautify them with inscriptions and paintings. Words written in stone to the Egyptian masses were considered truthful and magical. Hatshepsut used this tool to legitimize her ascension to the throne by claiming her father had proclaimed her his rightful heir instead of his son before his death. She also claimed that she was of divine descent and as such her reign is unquestionable. These claims were written in stone on the front panels of her mortuary temple, Djeser-Djeseru, that was built with great effort and attention to detail by a great architect, Senemut, her chief of court, tutor of her only child, and supposedly her lover.
Each day at dawn, the Sun rising over Thebes set the temple walls a glow and illuminated the hierogliphs that told of these things.
Besides many architectural