Delightful Luxor: Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a photo of which can be found in every guide to Egypt, is no less picturesque than the pyramids. What is there to say about the piles of stones - the tombs of the vain rulers of the Nile Valley, when the mortuary temple of the first female pharaoh delights with its beauty and grandeur. Everything in it is special: location, architecture, construction method, decoration. But first things first.

The temple of Queen Hatshepsut you will find in an amazing place: not far from the rocks of Deir el-Bahri. This is a rather complex structure carved into the rock. Rectangular columns are located at the entrance to the multi-storey building.

Hatshepsut is not only the first queen of an ancient country, she is one of the seven rulers known to history. All other pharaohs were men, so it was especially difficult for her not only to gain power, but also to keep it in her hands. The daughter of Thutmose I, wife of Thutmose II and aunt of Thutmose III, she distinguished herself by peacefully leading a vast kingdom, rebuilding it and raising it. That is why all of Egypt loves her so much. The temple of Queen Hatshepsut truly represents the greatness of the mind and foresight of the pharaoh. He talks about the impeccable taste of one of the mostbeautiful women (as she called herself).

Djeser Djeseru (the most sacred of the sacred), or, in a simple way, the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, can be found on a wide alley, which is guarded by ram-headed sphinxes. Previously, the whole complex had a bright design, and a huge garden was laid out in front of the building. Rare plants grew in it, and two blue lakes (also revered as sacred) were pleasing to the eye.

The temple of Queen Hatshepsut itself consists of three open areas (or terraces), crowned with columns and interconnected by sloping roads (ramps). The walls are decorated with traditional relief, which symbolized Upper and Lower Egypt, their unity (ground floor). On the second floor, you can see a composition that tells about the birth of the queen, her divine origin. Hatshepsut herself is often depicted as a male: in appropriate clothing, with a false beard. By this, she wanted to emphasize the legitimacy of her power, her right to the throne. The walls of the temple also immortalized the deeds of the queen: her expedition to the fabulously rich country of Punt, the military campaign.

It has a temple of Queen Hatshepsut of the sanctuary of Anubis and Hathor, and its upper part is completely dedicated to the gods. The sanctuary of Amun-Ra hosted an important holiday every year, as the statue of Amun from Karnak was brought here. The beautiful Festival of the Valley is imprinted on the walls of the building. It symbolized the cyclic rebirth of new life.

The creator of the delightful mortuary temple of the first Egyptian queenconsidered to be the architect of Senmut. He was the favorite of the pharaoh and the tutor of her daughter, and his image can also be found on the walls. After the death of Hatshepsut, important priests were buried on the territory of the complex, new reliefs and statues appeared. People came here with aspirations for recovery, the realization of a cherished dream. And although many details of the decor were taken out of Egypt, little by little the luxurious temple is being revived thanks to the efforts of restorers.