Luxor Hatshepsut. Temples of Luxor

G Holidays in Egypt are different and if, when we went on an excursion to Cairo and Alexandria, we had a wonderful young man with us who talked about the history and culture of the country with such love and enthusiasm, then when we went to Luxor - to a city considered the only city in in a world where so many historical and ancient values ​​are collected in one place, we were unlucky with a guide.

For the most part we were left to our own devices and explored the sights on our own. Among us there was a woman of retirement age, in her hands there was a book, from which she compared what she saw around. I realized that before going to the country, she studied the information she was interested in and her classmates crowded around her to ask something.

After some time, I realized that it’s probably more interesting to first learn about a country, a temple, a historical place, and then see it. Yes, when you read without imagining a specific place, it may not be entirely interesting. But when later the letters and pictures are superimposed on each other, interesting things happen.

And then it’s okay if your guide is more interested in taking you to an alabaster factory or a papyrus shop. That is why I want to briefly talk about what the temples in Luxor are and the people in whose honor they were built.

Queen Hatshepsut (reigned c. 1489–1468 BC) is known as the first female pharaoh of the New Kingdom of Egypt.

Hatshepsut was the daughter of Pharaoh Thutmas I and Queen Ahmes. While her father was still alive, she became the high priestess and “wife of the god Amon,” which greatly helped her subsequently take power into her own hands and become a pharaoh.

After the death of her father Thutmas I, Hatshepsut married her half-brother Thutmas II (father was Pharaoh Thutmas I, and mother was the minor queen Mutnofret). In this couple, Hatshepsut was considered higher in origin, since she was a purebred queen. It is believed that during the life of Thutmas II, she held the reins of government in her hands.

Thutmas II ruled for less than 4 years and died young from some illness. In marriage, Hatshepsut had two daughters - Nefrura and Meritra, therefore, after the death of Thutmas II, his son (the mother was the concubine of Thutmas I - Isis) - 12-year-old Thutmas III - ascended the throne. In some sources, Hatshepsut is presented as an aunt who removed her nephew from power, in others as a stepmother who ruled in place of her stepson. But the fact that Thutmas III was the son of her husband Thutmas II remains a fact.

Queen Hatshepsut reigned for 20-22 years. During her lifetime, she had the titles “Great Wife of the King,” that is, the main wife of the king and “wife of the god Amon.” Hatshepsut's reign was different from that of . Her activities were aimed more at construction than at military operations, which began to have a negative impact at the end of her reign, since the previously conquered peoples, feeling the will, began to get rid of Egyptian rule, which began to be quickly corrected after the death of Queen Hatshepsut by the next pharaoh, who was removed from rule. for 20 years - Thutmas III, recognized as the most warlike pharaoh of Egypt. Which also speaks about the extraordinary abilities of Queen Hatshepsut, if she could retain power in her hands despite such a strong “enemy.”

There are different opinions about the relationship between Hatshepsut and her stepson (cousin, nephew).

Retreat: Considering that there was strong inbreeding in the Egyptian royal dynasties, then partly all of the indicated types of kinship were present between these two figures.

Some sources say that Thutmas III was completely removed from governing the country, others indicate that during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut, Thutmas was also allowed to govern the country.

Despite the fact that the activities of Queen Hatshepsut were aimed at the peaceful construction of the country, there is nevertheless evidence that at least two military campaigns were undertaken during her reign, one of which she personally led.

Having accepted the title of pharaoh, Hatshepsut began to wear men's clothing and a false beard. All the attributes inherent in a pharaoh were present in her image. Despite the male image that Hatshepsut was supposed to take, the queen continued to call herself the most beautiful woman, and this is evidenced by the records on the walls of her temple. The queen also refused such a royal title as “mighty bull.”

During the reign of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt was a prosperous country; Many monuments, previously destroyed by the conquerors, were restored, the Karnak Temple was built, and the temple in Deir el-Bahri, which was built within 9 years, was a special pride. The country also flourished economically, there was active trade, and classic slave relations were established.

Queen Hatshepsut equipped a large expedition to the country of Punt (today its exact location is not known). Egypt had previously traded with Punt, but then relations were broken off. Queen Hatshepsut restored this relationship and purchased large quantities of myrrh wood, ebony wood, skins of exotic animals, tame monkeys, incense, gold, slaves and other things from Punt.

Hatshepsut died (as scientists have now established) from an illness (bone tumor, liver cancer, complicated by diabetes), the great queen was more than 50 years old, it is assumed that perhaps the reason was that she used medicines and cosmetics in the composition, which included carcinogenic substances that poisoned the body.

Hatshepsut was buried in the Valley of the Queens, but when the tomb was excavated, the sarcophagi that could have belonged to the queen were empty. It was only in 2007 that one of the mummies located in the Cairo Museum was identified as the body of Queen Hatshepsut.

Tourists who come to be sure to visit the Funeral Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, located in Deir el-Bahri. This temple in ancient times was called Djeser Djeseru and meant “the most sacred of the sacred.” The temple consisted of three large terraces, which included an alley of sphinxes and colossal statues of the queen. In ancient times, a green garden and T-shaped pools were laid out around the temple.

The power and beauty of the temple amazes even today; the temple carved from the rock looks amazing. To date, not everything has been restored, but even what is available allows us to imagine the grandeur and scale of the Temple of Hatshepsut. The temple was built not only in honor of the queen, but was also dedicated to Amon-Ra, as well as Anubis, who is the guide to the afterlife and the great protector of the dead - Hathor Imentet.

In the mountains, not far from the construction of the temple, there was housing for the construction workers and slaves.

The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is located at the very foot of the Deir el-Bahri cliffs. The temple complex of Queen Hatshepsut differs significantly from the temples of other Egyptian rulers. Its architecture and location were as unusual as the very appearance of a female pharaoh on the historical stage.

The daughter of Thutmose I and Queen Ahmes, Hatshepsut was the half-sister and great royal consort of Thutmose II. This king reigned for about 7 years, leaving behind an heir, Thutmose III, his son from his younger wife Isis. At the time of his father's death, Thutmose III was too young, and Hatshepsut was appointed regent of the little ruler. However, she was too proud to rule on anyone's behalf - she soon proclaimed herself the sole and rightful ruler of Egypt. The 15 years of Hatshepsut's reign were one of the brightest pages in the history of the 18th dynasty. On behalf of Hatshepsut, victorious military campaigns were waged in Asia and Nubia; in the 9th year of her reign, the famous expedition to Punt was carried out (the location, as well as the exact name of this exotic country, are still unknown. Perhaps Punt was located on the northern coast Somalia). In memory of these events, the queen erected magnificent monuments, only a few of which have survived to this day.

As unusual as the female pharaoh was, her funeral complex was just as unusual, and, above all, its location and architecture. First of all, Djeser Djeseru, “the most sacred of the sacred,” as Hatshepsut called her temple, is located at a great distance from the buildings of other rulers, in the very depths of the Theban necropolis. However, Hatshepsut did not violate established traditions - on the very border of the desert and irrigated land, a giant pylon was erected, from which a processional road led to the temple itself. This path, about 37 meters wide, was guarded on both sides by sphinxes made of sandstone and painted with bright colors. Right in front of the temple there was a garden of strange trees and shrubs brought from the mysterious country of Punt. Two sacred T-shaped lakes were dug here. The temple itself was truly a marvel of ancient Egyptian engineering. Carved into limestone rocks, it consisted of three huge terraces, located one above the other. On each of the terraces there was an open courtyard, covered rooms with columns - porticoes - and sanctuaries extending into the thickness of the rock. The tiers of the temple were connected by ramps - inclined roads that replaced stairs and divided the terraces into southern and northern parts.

Entrance to the temple - from the Punta portico of the Temple of Hatshepsut

This design and location of the building were not at all accidental: less than 100 meters from the Hatshepsut complex there is a similar temple, built by the ruler of the 11th dynasty, Mentuhotep Nebkhepetra. This king was considered the ancestor of the Theban kings, and Hatshepsut thus demonstrated the continuity of her reign and proved the legitimacy of her claims to the Egyptian throne.

Hathoric columns

The distribution of reliefs on the walls of the temple largely reflects the attitude of the ancient Egyptians. Thus, on the walls of the southern part of the lower portico, the delivery of obelisks carved in Upper Egypt and intended for the temple complex of Amon at Karnak is depicted. On the walls of the northern portico are scenes set in the reed beds associated with Lower Egypt. The idea of ​​the unity of both lands is found once again on the railing of the ramp connecting the second and third terraces of the temple. The lower bases of these staircases are decorated with images of a giant cobra, whose tail rose up the top of the railing. Above the head of the snake, which personified the patroness of Lower Egypt - the goddess Wadjet, is an image of Horus of Bekhdet, the deity of Upper Egypt.

Temple of Hatshepsut: relief of the lower terrace depicting warriors

If the reliefs of the first tier of the temple are dedicated to the united Egyptian lands, then the compositions of the second terrace tell the story of the ruler on whom the stability and prosperity of these territories depended. The main theme of the reliefs of the northern portico was divine theogamy - the story of the divine birth of Hatshepsut, recreated step by step on these walls. According to legend, the great Theban god Amon took the form of Hatshepsut's earthly father, Thutmose I, and entered the chambers of her mother Ahmes. While the royal wife carried the future ruler under her heart, the gods endowed Hatshepsut with all the qualities necessary for a pharaoh; This composition ends with the scene of the divine birth of the ruler.

To the right of the ramp is the so-called Portico of the Birth. Its reliefs and inscriptions tell the story of the conception and birth of Hatshepsut.

Khnum and Hekate lead the pregnant Queen Ahmose, Hatshepsut's mother, to the birthplace

In the maternity chamber, the god Khnum sculpts Hatshepsut herself and her ka on a potter's wheel. At the birth of Hatshepsut, the god Bes and the frog goddess Heket are present; the goddesses nurse the child, and Thoth records the details of the queen's reign.

This plot, like everything in Egyptian art, is not accidental. Having removed Thutmose III from the reign and received unlimited political power, Hatshepsut was never able to get rid of the question of the legality of her ascension to the Egyptian throne. That is why in the monuments of this queen about her divine origin and original selection for the role that she played. And although Hatshepsut proved the legitimacy of her power and in fact confirmed her ability to rule the state, she could not step over the barrier of the centuries-old tradition, according to which only a man could rule Egypt. This was manifested, first of all, in the iconography of Hatshepsut, who certainly depicted herself in male attire and with a ceremonial pendant beard. Thus, each of the columns of the porticos was complemented by an Osiric pilaster - a colossal statue of the queen in the image of Osiris, in a white robe, with her arms crossed on her chest, in which she held the royal scepters, and a long pendulous beard.

Boat of Hatshesput. Ancient Egypt. XVIII dynasty. XV century BC. Original: relief from the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri.

The depiction of the boats is replete with interesting technical details. These are river rowing boats.

Sea sailboats

The composition of the southern portico of the second tier tells the story of the famous expedition to Punt. According to official chronicles, the expedition equipped by Hatshepsut was so representative that local residents, seeing the power of the Egyptian fleet and troops, immediately recognized themselves as vassals of Egypt. The reliefs of the temple at Deir el-Bahri show all the details of this campaign. The artists depicted in detail the fleet of Hatshepsut, the features of the landscape of Punt with the forests of fragrant trees for which this country was so famous. The famous King and Queen Punta are also represented here, bringing gifts to Hatshepsut, which included precious woods, incense, ointments, animal skins, gold and slaves.

Egyptian ships during the expedition to Punt

Items from the ship are loaded onto boats for delivery to shore

The inhabitants of the country of Punt lived in pile buildings with conical roofs and used ladders to enter. Huts of this type can still be seen in some areas of East Africa.

White and yellow square blocks - copies of reliefs transported to the Cairo Museum

The king of the country, Punt Parehu, and Queen Ati receive the Egyptian embassy. The queen is presented as pathologically overweight, which indicates her elephantiasis (although it is possible that she is from the Hottentot tribe). This relief is now in the Cairo Museum.

The captain of the Egyptian expedition, accompanied by soldiers, transfers goods from Egypt to the rulers of the country of Punt.

Antiu trees, along with their roots, were placed in baskets and carried to the ship

General view of the pier with reliefs

Procession demonstrating the abundance of goods exported from Punt

Precious trees are brought on board the ship

The ships have raised their sails and are setting off on their return journey to their homeland.

On either side of the porticos are the sanctuaries of Anubis and Hathor. Anubis was the ruler of the necropolises, and the territory of Deir el-Bahri itself has long been dedicated to Hathor, whose veneration gave people hope for renewed vitality and rebirth after death. Both sanctuaries consist of 12-column hypostyle halls located on the terrace and interior spaces going deep into the rock. The columns of the sanctuary of Hathor are completed with Hathor capitals, made in the form of the face of this goddess, and on the walls of the sanctuary a seated figure of Thutmose II is depicted, whose hand is licked by a cow - the sacred animal of Hathor.

On both sides of the second terrace there are sanctuaries of the guide to the afterlife of Anubis and the goddess of love Hathor, which are small halls with 12 columns from which one could get deep into the rock into the interior.

The Temple of Anubis is decorated with a hypostyle hall with 12 16-sided columns and an astronomical ceiling

Southwestern wall. The image of Hatshepsut, placed between Nekhbet(?) and Ra-Horakhty, was purposefully destroyed.

Northwestern wall. Sacrifices to Amun.

Northwestern wall. Sacrifices to Anubis.

Northeast wall. Thutmose III brings gifts to Sokar.

The upper part of the temple of Queen Hatshepsut is dedicated to the gods who gave life to both the Egyptian land and its ruler. Around the sides of the central courtyard of the third terrace are the sanctuaries of the Divine Sun Ra and Hatshepsut's parents - Thutmose I and Ahmes. In the center of this complex is the holy of holies, the sanctuary of Amon-Ra, which was the most important and most intimate part of the entire temple of Deir el-Bahri.

The walls around the perimeter of the vestibule and hypostyle hall are decorated with scenes of festivals in honor of the goddess and scenes of the sacrifices of Hathor, appearing on her boat in the form of a cow. Hathor, in the form of a cow, licks the queen's hand.

Traditional ornament: "... all life, stability and power... all life, stability and power..."

Once a year, this sanctuary of Amun became the center of the Beautiful Festival of the Valley, during which the sacred image of Amun left the walls of the Karnak sanctuary and went to the mortuary temples of the Theban necropolis. Reliefs telling about this holiday occupy most of the walls of the courtyard of the upper terrace of the Temple of Hatshepsut. Often, the paintings of private Theban tombs are also associated with this celebration, during which the Thebans came to their deceased relatives, sacrificed flowers, wine, bread and fruit to them and spent the whole day visiting their ancestors, celebrating the arrival of Amun-Ra on the western bank of the river . Having visited all the royal temples, the boat with the divine statue was solemnly carried into the Djeser Djeser and spent the night there in order to return to the eastern bank of the river in Karnak in the morning. The images on the walls of the sanctuary of the Temple of Hatshepsut show a boat “floating” on a “golden lake,” that is, standing on a special sacred pedestal made of pure gold. Around this pedestal there were four containers, symbolizing the four cardinal directions, filled with the night milk of sacred cows. Torches placed around the boat burned all night; at dawn they were stewed in milk.

The sanctuary of the temple symbolized the womb of Hathor, the eternal mother, after spending the night in which the solar deity was reborn renewed, washed by life-giving milk, which received its night glow, which was symbolically denoted by the light of torches. Having visited Hathor, the great mistress of the West, the solar god-creator received new magical powers in order to continue his daily cyclical journey through orbit. The beautiful festival of the Valley was the starting point of the annual life cycle in which the solar god experienced a symbolic death, only to be reborn in the morning rejuvenated, full of strength to fight chaos and the forces of evil.

Northeast wall: boats and parade of the queen's soldiers in honor of the goddess Hathor

Hatshepsut brings rich gifts to Amun

Thoth and Seshat carefully monitor the weighing and accounting of the wealth delivered. There are mountains of myrrh and living myrrh trees in tubs.

Hatshepsut spared no expense in the construction of this temple, which she built “out of love for her father Amon.” This grandiose plan was embodied by the hands of the architect Senenmut, the queen’s favorite and teacher of her daughter Nefrur. Several statues of this architect, presented together with his pupil, have survived. Images of Senenmut are also found in Deir el-Bahri, however, apparently, their appearance was secret: located near doorways, they were always hidden by an open door. In addition, on the territory of the first terrace of the temple, Senenmut began the construction of his tomb, so that even after death he would remain as close as possible to the temple he had built. However, this sacred territory belonged to Amun and Hatshepsut, and this encroachment on the sacred land, and possibly other reasons, caused Hatshepsut's disgrace. The architect's tomb, in which all his names were carefully destroyed, was never completed.

Most of the images of Hatshepsut were destroyed by Thutmose III. Behind the half-erased Hatshepsut only a small figure remained, probably the queen’s.

After the death of Hatshepsut, the Egyptian throne returned to Thutmose III. Needless to say, how much he hated his stepmother, who deprived him of his kingdom for 15 years? By order of the king, all official chronicles were rewritten, the name of the queen was replaced with the names of this ruler and his predecessors; all the deeds and monuments of the queen were henceforth attributed to Hatshepsut’s successor.

Thutmose III in front of the sacred barge

Shadow of the figure of Hatshepsut reporting to Amun on the success of the expedition

Temple of Hatshepsut (Egypt) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The Temple of Hatshepsut occupies one of the most important places among all the attractions of Egypt. This majestic structure is located at the base of the sheer cliffs of Deir el-Bahri. The significance of the Temple of Hatshepsut can be judged by the way it was called in ancient times - Djeser Djeseru, or the Most Holy of the Holy. Its construction took nine years, from 1482 to 1473 BC. It is worth noting that the appearance of the temple was very different from all large-scale buildings of that time in its airiness and large number of sculptures. The Temple of Hatshepsut does not look as menacing as many other Egyptian attractions.

The significance of the Egyptian temple of Hatshepsut can be judged by the way it was called in ancient times - Djeser Djeseru, or the Most Holy of the Holy. Its construction took nine years, from 1482 to 1473 BC.

The female pharaoh Hatshepsut is one of the first famous ladies in world history. In addition to being an excellent ruler, Hatshepsut also understood the value of art and erected a huge number of monuments throughout the country. In addition, she restored destroyed landmarks. Only Ramesses II Meriamon built more than Hatshepsut. During her reign, Egypt prospered. Hatshepsut was such a strong personality, literally and figuratively, that she even personally led one of the military campaigns during her reign.

Surprisingly, the location for the temple of Hatshepsut was not chosen by chance, but with the help of precise calculations. It is located on the axis of the Karnak Temple of Amun and at the same time very close to the tomb that was intended for Hatshepsut herself in the Valley of the Kings on the other side of the mountain. The chief architect Senenmut worked on the creation of this temple. Now the temple of Hatshepsut is located practically in the desert - there is not a single tree nearby, and once this area was a real garden with exotic plants and a swimming pool. The frescoes on the walls of the temple tell about the reign of Hatshepsut and the events that took place. Here you can see scenes from life and images of gods.

The Temple of Hatshepsut gradually became a place of pilgrimage for many people. On its walls, scientists found a lot of inscriptions with requests for healing or help.

During the period of early Christianity, the temple housed a Coptic church. After many years, the building fell into ruins. Egyptologist Edouard Naville was the first of all scientists to begin the reconstruction of the temple in 1891. True, he did not particularly believe in success: restoring the Temple of Hatshepsut was extremely difficult, since many of the details of the attraction were taken from Egypt. But thanks to the efforts of Polish restorers, the temple was eventually restored. By the way, restoration work is still going on.

Practical information

Keep in mind that Hatshepsut's temple is located almost in the desert and the air temperature is very high. It is most comfortable to visit this attraction in winter, spring or autumn. In any case, you should take plenty of water with you and dress in comfortable clothes.

Address: Desir al-Bahri, Thebes, Luxor

Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-bahri

The waters of the Nile divided Ancient Egypt into two parts: eastern and western, into the kingdom of the living and the kingdom of the dead. On the eastern bank of the Nile, palaces of the pharaohs and huge temples were erected in honor of various gods; on the western bank, pyramids, tombs and mortuary temples were built, where services were held in honor of the dead and deified pharaohs...
Such mortuary temples, carved into the rocks of the western bank of the Nile, include two colossi of Ancient Egypt: the temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri and the temple of Ramesses II the Great, better known as Abu Simbel.
Queen Hatshepsut (reigned 1525-1503 BC) was the wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II. After the death of her husband, she usurped the throne, depriving the throne of the rightful heir - her stepson Thutmose III, who is believed to have been born from a woman of non-royal origin. During the reign of Hatshepsut, significant construction work was carried out in the Nile Valley, including the rebuilding and expansion of the Temple of Amun at Karnak. Probably, Hatshepsut thereby sought to immortalize her name. Looking ahead, let's say that she did not succeed in this - fate, alas, cruelly took revenge on the queen...

Construction of the mortuary temple began during Hatshepsut's lifetime. It was built by the court architect Senmut. While building the temple, Senmut prepared a secret tomb for himself in it, and left his portrait in one of the hidden corners.
The Temple of Hatshepsut was built next to the temple of Pharaoh Mentuhotep I, who was revered as the ancestor of the pharaohs of the 18th dynasty. Probably, by doing this, the queen wanted to emphasize her right to the throne that she had seized, bypassing the legal heir to the throne. Today, the area where the temple of Hatshepsut is located bears the Arabic name Deir el-Bahri. In its enormous size and abundance of decorative decorations, this temple surpasses all other similar buildings of Ancient Egypt and stands out sharply from all the temples of Ancient Egypt.

The Hatshepsut temple is of the semi-rock type - it combines above-ground premises with a sanctuary carved into the rocks. The temple consists of three terraces-steps, rising above each other and connected by gentle staircases-ramps. In ancient times, ponds with thickets of papyrus and trees were planted on these terraces. The road to the temple was decorated with sphinxes with portrait heads of Queen Hatshepsut in the guise of the god Osiris. The sphinxes were brightly colored - the body and face were yellow, the beard was blue, the headband was striped, red and green. The pedestals were decorated with reliefs depicting bound captives.

The lower terrace, serving as the central courtyard, is surrounded by a wall decorated with stone images of falcons with signs of royal power. From the west, the courtyard is closed by a 22-column portico, divided in the middle by a staircase-ramp. Once it was framed by monumental figures of lions, and on the sides of the portico towered colossal, 8-meter-high figures of Queen Hatshepsut in the image of the god Osiris. The portico is decorated with painted reliefs depicting Queen Hatshepsut trampling her enemies and making a sacrifice to the god Amun. Here you can also see scenes of military parades, lines of slaves, and episodes of construction work.

A staircase cutting through the portico leads to the second terrace. Once in its center there was an artificial pond surrounded by trees. The western part of the terrace is also decorated with a portico with tetrahedral monolithic columns, dissected by a staircase and serving as the basis for the third, upper terrace. On the walls of the portico there are relief compositions dedicated to the life of Queen Hatshepsut. At the opposite end of the terrace there are reliefs depicting the expedition sent by the queen to the legendary country of Punt and bringing from there a lot of jewelry and rare plants. According to most researchers, the country of Punt should be understood as the eastern coast of Africa. Probably, the same country was known in ancient times to the inhabitants of the Middle East under the name Ophir. The reliefs depict monkeys, panthers, giraffes, huts on stilts - typically African subjects.

The staircase leading to the upper terrace is decorated with sculptures of giant cobras, each of which has a falcon on its back. These are heraldic figures symbolizing Upper (cobra) and Lower (falcon) Egypt, and the entire composition is intended to personify the unity of Egypt. The staircase is framed by a pair of sphinxes carved from red Aswan granite.
The upper terrace was intended for the main temple rituals. Here is the entrance to the rock-cut sanctuary of Hatshepsut. The facade of the sanctuary is a portico with tetrahedral columns, in front of each of which there once stood a monumental statue of the queen. These huge statues were visible far from ships sailing along the Nile. The entire terrace was surrounded by columns. There were also several small temples and prayer houses here. In the southern wing of the portico there was a sanctuary of the goddess Hathor, the patroness of Queen Hatshepsut.

In the depths behind the colonnade of the portico, a mysterious labyrinth of underground halls carved into the rocks opens up. Their floors were paved with gold and silver slabs, their cedar doors were inlaid with bronze, their walls were decorated with faceted columns, and their vaults were covered with brightly colored reliefs. The entrance to the main hall was framed by three-meter-tall statues of Queen Hatshepsut in the image of the god Osiris, and its doors were made of “black copper” with inlays of electrum (an alloy of gold and silver).

In the main hall of the underground sanctuary there was a huge marble statue of the queen. Unfortunately, only fragments of it remain. In total, there were more than two hundred statues in the temple, of which 140 were sphinxes. The sculptures from the Temple of Hatshepsut are the most outstanding examples of ancient Egyptian art of the 17th dynasty. They depict Queen Hatshepsut in three forms: as a pharaoh, as the god Osiris, and as a sphinx. These portraits have conveyed to this day the appearance of the ancient ruler: an oval face tapering towards the chin, a small mouth, almond-shaped eyes under wide arches of eyebrows, the lines of the eyelids are extended to the temples with the help of a fim... In all the statues, the sculptors tried to accurately convey the portrait resemblance, but if the sphinxes and while large statues (8 and 5 m high), which were part of the external design of the temple, only have a general similarity and only the most characteristic features are reproduced, then the statues from the main sanctuary, which had a cult character, were made by first-class craftsmen and recreated in a very subtle and soft manner portrait image of the queen.

The luxurious decoration of the temple of Hatshepsut did not last long. After the death of the queen, the rightful heir, Thutmose III, who ascended the throne, first ordered the destruction of all images of his predecessor throughout the country and the erasure of all inscriptions where her name was mentioned. All the temple sculptures were broken and buried nearby, where they were discovered by archaeologists many centuries later.

The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is an ancient landmark located in the desert near Thebes, more precisely in Deir El Bahri. The temple was found during excavations in the 19th century along with the discovery of several other funeral temples.

In ancient times, the temple was called Djeser Djeseru, which translated means “most sacred.” It was built over nine years from 1482 to 1473. BC e. in the seventh year of the reign of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut. The architecture of the temple was carried out by Senmut, who was known as an outstanding architect and statesman.

The temple has an external resemblance to the palace-tomb of Mentuhotep and is even considered its continuation, despite the fact that it is larger in size. The structure is partially cut into the mountain, its width is approximately forty meters. Its main component is three large terraces, decorated with rows of white limestone columns, visually similar to a honeycomb. In the center of each terrace there is a ramp leading upstairs. Inside the temple there are a large number of rooms that were sanctuaries and burial rooms. The main decoration of the temple are numerous statues and sphinxes with the face of the queen, as well as ancient paintings depicting various events during the reign of the queen. The lower terrace adjoins a long alley about forty meters wide, on which myrrh trees are planted and sand sphinxes are displayed. Three steps in the form of large terraces lead to the temple. Previously, entire gardens were laid out on these terraces, trees were planted, and ponds were equipped.

Queen Hatshepsut became the sovereign ruler of Egypt after the death of her husband Thutmose II and from the first year of her reign began building grandiose structures, including a tomb for herself. As a result, the rock temple became the largest and richest structure of that time. The place for the construction of the temple was not chosen by chance. Thanks to its proximity to the temple of Mentuhotep, who became the founder of the 18th dynasty of pharaohs, Hatshepsut wanted to emphasize her right to the throne.