HISTORY
The Temple of Hatshepsut is a mortuary temple situated on the west bank of the Nile River near modern day Luxor in Dier-el-Bahri. It was designed by Hatshepsut’s architect, Senenmut, and modeled after the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II, an 11th dynasty pharaoh whose reign marked the start of the Middle Kingdom. The temple is built into the cliffs that surround the Theban necropolis and is adjacent to the Valley of the Kings. The construction of the temple took approximately 15 years to complete.
Hatshepsut is an important part of Ancient Egyptian history in that she parted with tradition and crowned herself Pharaoh of Egypt. Upon the death of her husband, Thutmose II, Hatshepsut was appointed regent since her late husband’s son, Thutmose III, was too young to assume the crown. It was in year 7 of the regency that Hatshepsut took the monumental step of crowning herself Pharaoh. Her years as Pharaoh were marked with prosperity and peace - successful trade, growing economy, and public work projects that provided ample employment.
FAST FACTS
The temple consists of three levels each connected with a central, wide ramp and it is accessed by a causeway that is approximately 120 feet wide. This temple, like others throughout Egypt, would have had an entrance pylon and a set of obelisks but today, there are no remains.
During ancient times, the first courtyard was a beautiful garden filled with trees and shrubbery that Hatshepsut brought to Egypt from her legendary trading expeditions to the land of Punt.
The second ramp is guarded by two lion statues while the entrance of the third ramp has two statues of the god Horus depicted as a falcon. The ramp to the third level is also bordered by two colonnades - on the right is the Birth Colonnade and to the left is the Punt Colonnade. The former portrays the divine birth of Hatshepsut while the latter depicts various scenes of her famous trading expedition to Punt. This marks Ancient Egypt’s first recorded pictorial documentation of a trade expedition.
On the southern and northern ends of the second level courtyard, there are two chapels. The Hathor Chapel on the southern end is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, one of the gods associated with the Theban Necropolis. It contained 12 columns of which only a few survive. These columns were topped with images of Hathor just like the columns found at the Temple of Denderah. The chapel on the northern end is the one dedicated to Anubis and contains twelve columns and an astronomical ceiling.
 |
| Remains of the Hathor Chapel |
 |
| Astronomical Ceiling |
The third level courtyard is bordered by the Royal Cult Chapel and Solar Cult Chapel on the sides and the Sanctuary of Amun towards the back. The sanctuary was cut into the cliffs and is aligned with Hatshepsut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
 |
| Sanctuary of Amun |
 |
| Sanctuary of Amun |
After her death, Thutmose III carved away images of Hatshepsut and at times replaced them with images of himself.
VISITING THE TEMPLE
The Temple of Hatshepsut is not a standard item on most tours so I was very fortunate that Trafalgar had this site as part of their 12 day trip itinerary. On my first trip to Egypt, my tour bus drove past the temple affording the opportunity to view it from afar but during this recent journey, I was able to spend one hour exploring the site. Our guide gave us a brief tour of the first level and then, we were given free time to explore the second and third levels.
The visit to this temple was very enjoyable given the cool winter weather and minimal crowds at the site. When I was exploring the temple, few people were touring the third level but in the sanctuary, there were two gentlemen who claimed to be ‘guards’ and they were hassling guests to take their picture which in turn would lead to hassling for a tip. Other than those two folks, there were no vendors or ‘guides’ to be found at the temple; all were towards the entrance by the ticket booth.
The visit to this temple was very enjoyable given the cool winter weather and minimal crowds at the site. When I was exploring the temple, few people were touring the third level but in the sanctuary, there were two gentlemen who claimed to be ‘guards’ and they were hassling guests to take their picture which in turn would lead to hassling for a tip. Other than those two folks, there were no vendors or ‘guides’ to be found at the temple; all were towards the entrance by the ticket booth.
If visiting during the summer months, I highly suggest wearing a hat and sunscreen. There is minimal shade at the temple and there is no shade provided at the locations where one can board the tram to and from the temple. Unlike other temples, the terrain was more even and the only dimly lit area was the sanctuary.
NOTE One can either walk or ride a tram to the temple from the entrance. My tour group took the tram to the temple but I, along with my guide and a tour mate, walked back to the entrance. The walk was enjoyable given the weather but in the warmer months, the tram may be a better idea.
 |
| Looking towards the entrance and bus parking lot from the temple's first ramp. |
