Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor. Temple of Queen Hatshepsut Where is the Temple of Hatshepsut located
In the desert valley of Deir El-Bahri, not far from Thebes, is located one of the most remarkable monuments of ancient Egyptian architecture - the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The temple is the main part of the whole complex, which also includes the temples of Mentuhotep II and Thutmose III.
Queen Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut is one of the five sovereign rulers of Egypt in its entire history. She belonged to the 18th dynasty and reigned at the beginning of the 15th century. BC e.
Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I, and after his death she became the wife of her brother, Pharaoh Thutmose II. She enjoyed great influence at court, being the high priestess of Amun and, in fact, her husband's co-ruler.
The new pharaoh ruled for less than 4 years. After his death, his son from his concubine, 12-year-old Thutmose III, ascended the throne, and Hatshepsut became regent. However, after 18 months, with the support of the priesthood, she removed the young pharaoh from power and began to rule independently. Thutmose III was sent to the temple to receive an education.
Looking ahead, we note that this involuntary imprisonment and training in the temple of the future great pharaoh subsequently turned out to be considerable benefits for Egypt.
Construction of the temple
The queen had to work hard to convince everyone of the legitimacy of her reign. The priests spread the legend that her father was Amun, who came to her mother Ahmes in the guise of Thutmose I. In gratitude for the support of the priesthood, Hatshepsut restored many temples destroyed by the Hyksos conquerors, and granted considerable privileges to the priestly communities.
Hatshepsut's foreign policy was not particularly active. She had to send troops to suppress uprisings in the Egyptian Asian possessions, but Hatshepsut did not conduct large-scale campaigns.
A significant achievement was the restoration of destroyed trade links with the country of Punt (probably in present-day Somalia). Hatshepsut organized a large-scale naval expedition to Punt, which returned with large quantities of valuable goods - gold, incense, ivory, precious wood, slaves and the skins of exotic animals.
The era of Hatshepsut's reign was a time of unprecedented growth in Egypt, growth in economic and trade activity. But the main thing that the female pharaoh became famous for was her grandiose construction activity. Only Ramses II the Great built more than it, but many scientists dispute this, since Ramses II often removed the names of his predecessors from buildings and carved his own name.
By order of Hatshepsut, new sanctuaries were erected throughout the country and old ones were restored, they were decorated with new paintings and wonderful reliefs. The giant granite obelisks erected during this period surpassed in height all similar structures of the queen's predecessors. But the most outstanding monument of Hatshepsut's era was Djeser-Djeseru, the Most Sacred of the Sacred, the funeral temple of the queen, built not far from the outskirts of Thebes.
"Parthenon" of Ancient Egypt
The Temple of Hatshepsut, which is the main part of the Deir el-Bahri complex, took 9 years to build. The temple is partially carved into the rock; its width along the facade is about 40 meters.
The construction of the temple was carried out under the leadership of Senmut, whom scientists consider the most outstanding architect of Egypt since the time of Imhotep, the builder of the first pyramid. Senmut supervised all royal works, was the main adviser to Hatshepsut and the teacher of her daughter Nefrur.
Senmut managed to fit the temple perfectly into the rocky landscape. The monumental structure includes three successively rising terraces, cut through by a ramp leading to the main sanctuary. The terraces are decorated with white sandstone colonnades. With their monumentality and at the same time slenderness, the columns are reminiscent of much later Doric ones. Ponds were once built on each terrace and trees were planted.
An alley led to the beginning of the ramp, along which sphinxes depicting Osiris with the face of Hatshepsut were installed, and myrrh trees taken from Punt grew. The alley stretched from the border of cultivated fields and desert, its beginning was marked by a majestic pylon.
The porticoes of all tiers are decorated with wonderful wall paintings and reliefs. The paintings on the portico of the lower tier tell about the delivery of stone blocks along the Nile, hikes, and construction work. Often there are images of a falcon and a snake. These are Horus and Wadjet, patrons of Upper and Lower Egypt. Thus, the audience was instilled with the idea of the inextricable unity of the country. On the terrace there were numerous statues of Hatshepsut, both in ceremonial attire and in the usual women's tight-fitting dress.
The reliefs of the second tier told about the expedition to Punt and other deeds of the queen. Along the stairs there were statues of cobras with falcons on their backs, reminiscent of the unity of Egypt. On the sides of the terrace are the sanctuaries of Anubis, one of the judges of the kingdom of the dead, and Hathor, who personified beauty, femininity, motherhood and fertility. The porticoes of both sanctuaries have 12 columns, behind which the underground halls begin.
The main religious ceremonies were held on the upper terrace. On its sides are the sanctuaries of the queen’s parents, Thutmose I and Ahmes; in the center of the tier is the main temple of the entire complex, dedicated to Amun-Ra.
The central temple of the ensemble consists of many rooms carved into the rock, in which there were numerous statues of the queen, depicting her in the form of sphinxes and in an anthropomorphic style. The huge statues of Hatshepsut, installed at the entrance, were visible from the Nile itself. Wall paintings depicted religious rituals and scenes of the queen’s meetings with her patron gods. The underground halls were richly decorated with valuable materials, and the main entrance was closed by a door made of black copper with inlays of gold and silver.
In total, according to archaeologists, about 200 statues were installed in the temple. However, the temple did not please parishioners with its beauty for long. After the death of Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, wanting to take revenge for his removal from power, made a lot of efforts to destroy the memory of the queen. Her images were partially erased, the statues were thrown off their pedestals and buried nearby. Only many centuries later did archaeologists manage to partially restore the original appearance of the temple.
Nevertheless, Thutmose III ordered the construction of his funeral temple here, next to the creation of Senmut.
The temple ensemble of Deir el-Bahri gives the impression of completeness and harmony, which has given many researchers reason to consider it one of the most beautiful buildings of the ancient world. For the uniqueness of the architectural solution and the perfection of the lines, the Temple of Hatshepsut is sometimes put on a par with the masterpiece of ancient architecture - the Athenian Parthenon.
Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri
One and a half thousand years before the new era, at the foot of the Theban rocks, the construction of a temple began, the like of which Ancient Egypt had never known. The main inspirer of this unprecedented sanctuary was the Egyptian queen Hatshepsut, who shortly before managed to remove her husband Thutmose III from power and thus become the first female pharaoh in the history of the Egyptian kingdom. By the way, in order to confirm her status as a pharaoh, Hatshepsut even began to ostentatiously wear an artificial beard (a symbol of royal wisdom), walked with an open torso, as befits the stronger sex, and dressed in men's dress.
The priests, willy-nilly, had to call the queen “female Horus,” which must have amazed all the inhabitants of the country of the Nile, for such a phenomenon was unheard of in the dynastic tradition of Egypt. After this metamorphosis, the word "majesty" took on a completely different form, and the customs of the court were modified so that they could accommodate the rule of a woman. And Hatshepsut had no shortage of ambition. It is enough to see the inscription on one of the queen’s obelisks, the meaning of which boils down to the following: “You (subjects) will proclaim her word, you will obey her command. The one who worships her will live, the one who blasphemously speaks ill of her majesty will die.”
So, after the energetic queen’s party gained power, and she herself began to play a leading role in the state, she undertook grandiose transformations, including the construction of a stepped temple according to a design made by the best architects of that time - the queen’s favorite Senmut, his successor Ineni and master Tutia, who made doors from an alloy of gold and silver. Hatshepsut paid special attention to the layout of the sanctuary. She saw in it a real paradise of Amon, whose terraces seemed to her “the myrtle gardens of the wonderful country of Punt, the original home of the gods.”
The temple rose from the valley in three terraces to the level of an elevated courtyard adjacent to high yellow rocks, where the name and image of the deity were carved. On the second terrace there was an extensive colonnade, which could be seen from a long distance. All three terraces, or tiers, were connected by wide ramps. The measured rhythm of repeatedly repeated light columns was especially emphasized against the background of dark rocks. But Hatshepsut attached special importance to myrtle trees, which should have been planted on all spacious terraces. Such trees grew only in the southern country of Punt, famous for its wealth, luxury, exotic animals and plants. There the queen sent an expedition led by the close treasurer Nekhsi, in whose chests the gifts of the blessed country were to be kept.
In addition to many barter goods, the fleet of five ships was carrying a large stone statue of the queen, which was supposed to be erected in Punta. Having safely reached one of the southern borders of Egypt, the expedition arrived at its destination, where it was friendly received by the leader of the country and his entourage. After the ambassadors presented them with gifts, the ships were loaded with generous gifts. According to the chronicle, among them were “piles of myrtle resin, fresh myrtle trees, ebony, pure ivory, incense, baboons, monkeys and panther skins. Nothing like this has ever been brought to any king who lived in the north.”
Having examined the gifts brought, the queen immediately sacrificed some of them to Amon. Huge piles of myrrh and impressive rings of barter gold were carefully weighed and used for their intended purpose. Having gathered all her favorites, Hatshepsut reminded them of the oracle of Amun, who commanded her to “arrange Punt for him in his house and in his garden,” and said that she had fulfilled the highest command that was revealed to her in moments of divine revelation.
All the main performers found their place in the reliefs on the walls of the temple. Senmut was even allowed to depict himself on one of the temple steles praying for the queen - an extraordinary honor!
The stepped temple built by Hatshepsut, presumably not only for the glory of Amun, was, in fact, a new phenomenon both in architecture and in the location of the royal tomb and the temple attached to it. The fact is that by the beginning of the New Kingdom, which was opened by the reigns of Hatshepsut’s grandfather Ahmose I and her father Thutmose I, the pharaohs already understood that no precautions could save the tomb from plunder; that is why by this time the Egyptian rulers had practically stopped building any pyramids - both large and small. It was for security reasons that Thutmose I separated the tomb from the chapel in front of it in order to keep the king’s burial place secret. As the chronicle testifies, the same architect Ineni said that he alone supervised the carving of the cave tomb of His Majesty, so that “no one saw or heard.” According to the new location, the tomb was still located behind the chapel (temple), which continued to remain to the east of the tomb. But now both places were separated by rocks. By the way, the valley, which is now known as the Valley of the Kings, over several hundred years was filled with the richest tombs of the successors of Thutmose and continued to be a cemetery not only for the kings of the 18th, but also the 19th and 20th dynasties. More than forty tombs of the Theban kings were carved in it.
The terraced sanctuary of Hatshepsut was, therefore, her funeral temple, also dedicated to the queen’s father, Thutmose I. The ruler’s tomb itself was carved into a desert valley. On its eastern side, immediately behind the temple, a passage descends steeply onto the rock, ending in a row of chambers, one of which contained the sarcophagus of the queen herself, and the other the sarcophagus of Thutmose I. However, all these precautions did not help the preservation of the royal shrines. Both sarcophagi were plundered in ancient times, and archaeologists who discovered them in modern times did not find any remains of the two pharaohs.
And one more unique feature of the stepped temple of Hatshepsut. These are magnificent snow-white columns rising above the lower tier. Viewers who see them from a distance will undoubtedly be struck by the amazing sense of proportion and natural arrangement of these architectural details. By the way, the architecture of the temple colonnade completely contradicts the statement that the Greeks first mastered the art of arranging external columns, and the Egyptians knew how to achieve their harmony only inside the building. The general configuration of the temple also testifies to the amazing ability of the builders to combine the greatness of nature with man-made materials.
In addition to the colonnade of the stepped temple, which has survived to this day, you can also see the famous obelisks of Hatshepsut - needle-shaped steles, rapidly raised to the sky. The queen chose an unusual place for them, namely, the hall of the Karnak Temple near Thebes, where her husband, Thutmose III, was once proclaimed pharaoh “by command of Amon.” These obelisks, carved from solid blocks of stone, were covered with precious metals (which the architect Tutia worked on) and at that time were considered the greatest structures that had ever been erected in Egypt. The Queen proudly described their beauty: “The tops of the obelisks are made of the best alloy of gold and silver... Their rays flood both Countries when the sun rises between them, rising on the horizon of the sky.” The height of the obelisks reached forty meters, and the weight of each of them was about three hundred and fifty tons.
The legendary female pharaoh ruled the country for more than twenty years, after which she died under unclear circumstances. Power again passed into the hands of her husband, Thutmose III. Having restored his rights, the king paid in full for past grievances, treating the memory of his late wife in a completely barbaric manner. The name of Hatshepsut was erased from all the walls of the stepped temple, images and reliefs telling about the deeds of the queen were destroyed. The same fate befell the queen's associates, including the architects Senmut, Ineni, Tutia and the vizier Hanuseneb, whose names adorned the tombs and obelisks.
To some extent, Thutmose III can be understood. A born warrior who dreamed of conquering the rebellious Asian tribes and gaining glory for Egypt, he, being removed from governing the country, was forced to engage in such, in his opinion, childish things as burning incense before Amon, or building sanctuaries in honor of a powerful wife. However, Thutmose III fully realized all his warlike plans after he again took the throne.
And yet, no matter how hard the vengeful husband tried, he could not erase the memory of Hatshepsut. Evidence of this is the stepped temple and obelisks, which, despite their disfigured appearance, still amaze with their grandeur, unearthly beauty and boldness of embodiment.
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author Murray Margaret From the book Egyptian Temples. Dwellings of the mysterious gods author Murray MargaretWe continue our walk through the Theban necropolis. From Medinet Habu, where the memorial temple of Ramses III is located, we will go to Deir el-Bahri. In this complex there are three temples at once - Mentuhotep II, Thutmose III, and most importantly - the Aritsa Hatshepsut, tombs in a style absolutely unique to ancient Egypt.
Deir el-Bahri from a hot air balloon
On the left in the foreground we see the Ramesseum - the funeral temple of Ramses II. However, as I already mentioned in the last post, we didn’t go into it, we just passed by. I took a couple of shots while walking from the bus, and they obviously didn't turn out well.
It's better to look at the Ramesseum from a hot air balloon)
Well, now let's enter the Deir el-Bahri complex
There are a lot of caves around where various tombs are hidden.
One of the important tombs here is the hypogeum of Senmut, the chief architect of the temple of Hatshepsut
If the weather permits, you can walk here endlessly. Climb, admire the desert landscapes, and, of course, explore the tombs, of which there are countless numbers.
But since it’s 40 degrees outside and there’s smog, we’ll go straight to the main temple
The temple of Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut in ancient times was called Djeser Djeseru - “The Most Sacred of the Sacred.” This is an absolutely unique creation in style, with impeccable classical harmony. But it was erected a thousand years before the Parthenon in Athens!
Like any self-respecting temple, it is guarded by falcons (Horus or Horus - the god of the sky and the sun in the guise of a falcon, a man with the head of a falcon or winged sun, the son of the fertility goddess Isis and Osiris)
And decorated with sphinxes
Djeser Djeseru consisted of three large terraces, decorated with porticoes with snow-white limestone proto-Doric columns
In the center the terraces were divided by massive ramps leading upward to the temple sanctuary
And here is the sanctuary itself
Once upon a time there were thousands of unique reliefs here
Narrating the main events of the reign of Queen Hatshepsut
And the temple was crowned with a giant portrait of Hatshepsut herself in the form of a sphinx. The portrait of Hatshepsut was supposed to be visible from ships sailing down the Nile (this was the main purpose of the structure), so the place was chosen specifically under a rock - so that there would be something to attach the portrait to.
However, little has survived here, for many reasons. Hatshepsut seized the throne after the death of her husband, Pharaoh Thutmose II. In theory, Thutmose III was supposed to become pharaoh, but at that time he was still just a child, and Hatshepsut usurped power, becoming a “regent.” She immediately organized massive construction, which continued throughout her reign (about 15 years). However, as soon as the true heir came to power, he ordered the immediate destruction of all the queen’s creations.
Thutmose still behaved relatively humanely, since he did not order the destroyed sculptures to be completely destroyed, but to be buried not far from the temple. This shows, in my opinion, how great the Egyptian civilization was - they knew how to appreciate beauty even if it was produced by your enemies.
Unfortunately, modern Egypt has not preserved its great traditions and attitude towards culture. When, at the end of the 19th century, first Gaston Maspero and then an American expedition excavated Deir el-Bahri, they discovered thousands of sculptures, columns and other artifacts. They contacted the local “antiquities department” and asked what to do? In Egypt they did not skimp and answered “take it, we don’t mind.” Now the Metropolitan has an entire department (almost a building) with exhibits from the Temple of Hatshepsut. And here we see only some of the remains.
Egyptians are generally generous people. When the crazy Nasser started building his dam, he completely destroyed the floor of ancient Egypt, and flooded dozens of ancient temples (if not hundreds). The whole world was horrified and organized an operation to save the temples. Nasser was not stingy - “whatever you save is yours.” Now a whole ancient temple stands in the center of Madrid, and others are in Berlin, London, New York, Paris, and so on.
Only the great Abu Simbel, who also saved the whole world, survived from all this fucked-up. The temple was cut down and moved to a mountain 60 meters above its original location. Of course, there will be a separate post about this.
I have a very ambivalent attitude towards all this. I try not to be a colonialist, but sometimes it seems to me that this is for the best - let the churches be kept in Europe and America, where they know how to respect culture, and what happened in Palmyra, and what happens every day in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, will not happen.
On the other hand, given what has been happening in Europe in recent years, no one has said that our cultural heritage is safe there.
In conclusion, I just want to ask - let's treat our cultural values with more respect and understanding. After all, in fact, this is all we have.
Well, now let's get back to the reliefs
There are many images of bulls preserved here. In Egypt they have a completely special attitude.
Even Pharaohs do not hesitate to drink from their udders
And Anubis himself is following them
Here is another bull, majestically walking on the ankhs
I especially like the bull's "collar"
In addition to bulls, there are amazing lions here
Pharaohs in typical skirts)
And of course falcons
Because the falcon, in addition to being the god Horus, is also a symbol of Lower Egypt
Let's make the last outward bypass
Remains of the Temple of Mentuhotep II
This arch has it all. And the bull, and the falcon, and the scarab, the dung beetle, the most revered insect of Egypt
Looking down from the upper terrace. While we were walking around the temple, the smog took over the Valley of the Kings
Finally - one more shot of the temple from the air
Let's leave. Unique structure. All other temples in Egypt are, of course, unique in their own way, but the style is a little similar. This one is very special. And absolutely modern. I wonder if he influenced La Corbusier, and modernism and functionalism in general.
After the Temple of Hatshepsut we went to the Colossi of Memnon. I thought about writing about them here, but I see it's getting too much. So there will be a separate post. The colossi deserve it.
Institute of Economics, Management and Law (Kazan)
Naberezhnye Chelny branch
Discipline: Cultural Studies
Topic: Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
Usanova Elena Sergeevna group 891U
Naberezhnye Chelny-2009
The greatest structures of the New Kingdom era were the temples, or “houses” of the gods, as the ancient Egyptians called them. 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 glorifying the gods were erected; On the western bank, pyramids, tombs and mortuary temples were built, where services were held in honor of the dead and deified pharaohs. One of them is the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut (1525-1503 BC), dedicated to the goddess Hathor. 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.
Hatshepsut was the only female pharaoh in Egyptian history. 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. She was given all the secular and religious honors due to the pharaohs, she was depicted, as befits a real pharaoh, with the attributes of Osiris, with a beard tied under her chin. The female pharaoh Hatshepsut was an extraordinary person. For many years, the queen awakened the imagination of novelists and posed new riddles to Egyptologists. The 15 years of Hatshepsut’s reign were one of the brightest pages in the history of the 18th dynasty. During her reign, Hatshepsut did not so much fight as she built new and restored old temples. During the reign of the queen, significant construction work was carried out in the Nile Valley, including the reconstruction and expansion of the Temple of Amun at Karnak. Probably, Hatshepsut thereby sought to immortalize her name. Her name is also associated with a distant sea expedition to the distant country of Punt. Her numerous statues served to glorify Queen Hatshepsut.
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. Queen Hatshepsut thereby wanted to emphasize her right to the throne that she had seized, bypassing the legitimate heir. Construction of the mortuary temple began during the lifetime of Queen Hatshepsut. 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 of the temple.
Today, the site of Hatshepsut's temple bears the Arabic name Deir el-Bahri. In its size and abundance of decorative decorations, this temple surpasses all other similar buildings of Ancient Egypt and stands out from all the temples of Ancient Egypt. This is one of the most remarkable works of ancient Egyptian architecture. 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. These sphinxes were beautifully painted - the body and face are yellow, the beard is blue, the headband is striped: red and green. The pedestals of the sphinxes were decorated with reliefs depicting bound captives.
The lower terrace, which serves as a courtyard in front of the temple, 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. Previously, it was framed by monumental figures of lions. On the sides of the portico there once stood 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 in the form of a sphinx, 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. An alley of sphinxes led from the gate to the foot of the stairs. A staircase cutting through the portico leads to the second terrace. Once in its center there was an artificial pond surrounded by trees. In the western part of the terrace there is also a portico, dissected by a staircase and serving as the basis for the third, upper terrace. The tetrahedral columns of the portico are entirely carved from monolithic stone. On the walls of the portico are carved relief compositions depicting scenes from the life of Queen Hatshepsut: the marriage of her mother, Queen Ahmose, with the god Amon-Ra (in fact, Queen Hatshepsut’s father was Pharaoh Thutmose I), the birth of Hatshepsut from this “divine” marriage, her coronation , the queen receiving a blessing from the goddess Hathor, etc. At the opposite end of the terrace there are reliefs telling about the expedition sent by the queen to the legendary country of Punt to remove jewelry and rare plants from there. 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 most important 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, underground halls carved into the rocks open up. The entrance to the main hall was framed by three-meter statues of Queen Hatshepsut in the image of the god Osiris, and the main doors were made of “black copper” with inlays of electra (an alloy of gold and silver). The halls carved into the rocks are decorated with rectangular and multifaceted columns. The floors were tiled with gold and silver tiles, and the cedar doors were inlaid with bronze. The walls and vaults of the halls were covered with brightly colored reliefs.
In total, there were more than two hundred statues in the temple, of which 140 were sphinxes. In the main hall there was a huge marble statue of the queen (only fragments of it have survived). The sculptures from the Temple of Hatshepsut are the most outstanding example of ancient Egyptian art of the 18th dynasty. They depict Queen Hatshepsut in three forms: as a pharaoh, as the god Osiris, and as a sphinx. These portraits have brought 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 the eyebrows, the lines of the eyelids were extended to the temples with the help of makeup. On all the statues, the sculptors tried to accurately convey the portrait resemblance, but if for the sphinxes and for the large statues (8 and 5 meters high), which were part of the external design of the temple, only a general similarity was outlined, and only the most characteristic features were reproduced, then the statues from the central sanctuary , which had a cult character, were made by first-class craftsmen and in a very subtle and soft manner they recreate the portrait appearance of the queen.
Hatshepsut died around 1468 BC. e. Since she had not yet reached old age, versions were put forward of both the natural death and the violent death of the queen. However, analysis of the mummy, identified as Hatshepsut, showed that at the time of her death, she was approximately 50 years old and died solely from diseases (bones and, fortified) We do not know whether the queen herself was ever buried in a magnificent quartzite sarcophagus , which was found empty in this tomb. Thutmose III returned his grandfather's mummy to its original burial place, and it is believed that he may have moved his stepmother's mummy as well. Fragments of a gilded wooden plate, possibly belonging to Hatshepsut, were discovered among scraps of shrouds and the remains of grave goods in the unfinished tomb of the last pharaoh of the 20th dynasty (KV4). As a result of a 2007 analysis of mummies carried out by Cairo scientists, the mummy from the tomb of Sat-Ra was officially identified as the body of Hatshepsut. 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.
Many reliefs and inscriptions on the walls of the temple were lost forever, but the “most sacred of the sacred” himself survived. During the period of early Christianity, a Coptic church was built in the temple, and in the Middle Ages it almost turned into ruins. Later, restorers managed to largely restore its original appearance.
The famous archaeologist Edouard Naville, who explored this area in 1891, could not even imagine that the temple of Queen Hatshepsut would ever be restored. After all, many fragments of sculpture and reliefs were taken outside Egypt. However, in 1961, Polish restorers began restoring the complex. Their work continues to this day. Year after year, scientists piece by piece collect and recreate reliefs, statues and architectural elements. Thanks to the efforts of restorers, the temple again acquired a third terrace, from where the pilasters of Hatshepsut look down on modern tourists. The queen’s lips froze in a half-smile, and the words inscribed on one of her obelisks were about to fall from them: “My heart is rushing back and forth, wondering what people will say, those who will see the monuments I created, years and years later. they will talk about what I have done... Do not say that this is boasting, But say: “How similar it is to her [Her Majesty Hatshepsut], how worthy of her father [the god Amun]!”
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The Temple of Karnak is a unique temple, the largest ancient religious building in the world. Unlike many Egyptian temples, Karnak was built by more than one pharaoh or even one dynasty. Construction began in the 16th century BC. and lasted more than 1300 years. About 30 pharaohs contributed to the complex, adding temples, pylons, chapels and obelisks dedicated to the gods of Thebes.
The Karnak Temple consists of three large structures, several smaller temples located within the main area, and several temples outside its walls.
In the Karnak Museum, in the large courtyard, there is a sacred lake, on the shore of which a scarab beetle, which grants wishes, sits on a marble column. Evening Karnak Temple is illuminated and filled with music.
Coordinates: 25.71960400,32.65579600
Karnak Temple
Karnak Temple is one of the most amazing and ancient religious complexes in the world. The temple was built in honor of the god Amon-ra and his wife Mut in the 16th century BC, its construction lasted for more than 1000 years.
About 30 pharaohs contributed to the development of the complex, adding new temples and other objects, thanks to which the temple covers an area of 80 hectares. Despite the fact that over time the temple suffered significant destruction, it did not become less majestic. The temple is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the largest open-air museum. The complex includes several temples, statues and a "botanical garden" - an open courtyard with walls depicting plants and exotic animals. In the depths of the complex you can see a huge obelisk made of red granite 35 meters high. There is also a sacred lake on the territory, with which many stories and rituals are associated. In addition, every evening there is a light show where you can get acquainted with the history of the most ancient religious center of Egypt.
Coordinates: 25.71958500,32.65578700
Temple of Nefertari
The Temple of Nefertari is located north of the famous Temple of Ramesses II. This structure was a sanctuary built in honor of Queen Nefertari, the wife of the pharaoh.
The amazing facade of the temple is formed from six colossi, the height of which is ten meters. Two of the figures represent Nefertari, and four of them represent the king. The queen is crowned with a crown consisting of two horns and feathers, between which there is a solar disk. Nefertari is the incarnation of the patroness of Nubia and the sky goddess.
Next to the queen there are small figures of the pharaoh’s daughters, and near Ramesses - the sons. Upon entering the temple, Ramesses hands flowers to his queen, depicted as the beautiful goddess Isis. On the reverse side of the gate, the king defends his Nefertari, defeating the Asians and Nubians, pays honor to Horus and Amun-Ra and imposes tribute on the enemy people.
Coordinates: 25.73040100,32.61299400
Temple of Hathor at Qena
The temple, dedicated to the goddess Hathor, is one of the best examples of a temple from the Late Egyptian era. The structure has survived to this day practically undamaged, because almost all the time it was under the sand. It was discovered by Auguste Mariette in the 19th century.
Hathor is the daughter of the solar deity, who is associated among the Egyptians with a symbol of femininity and motherhood. Even today people come to the temple to worship the goddess and ask for health for their children.
In the temple you can find many beautiful astronomical images, which emphasize the inextricable connection of the goddess with the sky. At the outer wall of the temple is depicted Cleopatra, who accompanies her son Caesarion to prayer in the temple.
During excavations, the remains of an ancient Christian basilica were discovered on the territory of the temple.
The temple is located in Qena, near Luxor.
Coordinates: 26.14311100,32.67016400
Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple is the greatest architectural creation of ancient Egyptian civilization, erected in honor of the god Amun, also known as Ra.
The temple is famous for the beauty of its reliefs covering the walls of its buildings: reliefs depicting the Battle of Ramesses at Kadesh, the walls of the processional colonnade under Tutankhamun were decorated with scenes from the Opet festival, the interior is covered with scenes from the era of Amenhotep III.
By the way, about the Opet holiday. Its holding was one of the main functions of the temple. During the festival, the priests carried the three sacred boats of Amun, Mut and Khonsu from the Karnak Temple and performed secret rituals dedicated to the harvest festival.
Coordinates: 25.69985500,32.63943000
Temple of Seti I
The Temple of Seti the First at Abydos is the largest surviving temple there. It was built from sand blocks and limestone in the shape of the letter L. The temple has 7 sanctuaries, while others traditionally have 1 or 3. The unique three-level structure was erected during the reign of Pharaoh Seti, but the construction of the first hypostyle hall and the decoration of the courtyard was completed by Ramses The second is his son and successor.
Hypostyle is a hall with large columns, on the walls of which there are bas-reliefs with images of the “Lord of Eternity” - Osiris. Many of the reliefs have retained their original color. The walls of the Gallery of Kings contain chronological materials: on one wall there is a list of 120 ancient Egyptian gods and their main temples, and on the other there is a list of 76 pharaohs who ruled before the Seti of the First.
The decoration of the entire temple is of great cultural and historical interest. The reliefs are especially beautiful.
Coordinates: 25.73261400,32.62835400
Merenptah Temple
The mortuary temple of Merneptah is located in the Valley of the Kings and is practically destroyed. Once upon a time there was a whole complex here, thought out to the smallest detail, but now only statues remain.
Previously, a gate led into the first courtyard of the structure, opening a view of the colonnades - six columns on each side. The left side of the courtyard of the complex was the facade of the king's brick palace. And the giant Israel Stele, which once stood in front of the second pylon, was built in honor of Merenptah, indicating his military prowess.
This pylon was followed by a second courtyard, in which a bust of Merneptah from a collapsed statue was discovered. A passage led from the courtyard to the halls. The temple ended with 3 sanctuaries with rooms for sacrifices and sacred objects. Once upon a time, the entire temple complex was decorated with tiles and gold, it was surrounded by a huge brick wall, but now practically nothing remains of the former buildings.
Coordinates: 25.74644300,32.60514000
Temple of Hathor at Dendera
The ancient city of Dendera (Tentiris in Greek) was one of the most ancient and famous cities in Egypt. For many years, Dendera was the central cult center of the goddess Hathor, a symbol of love and joy. The magnificent temple, where in addition to Hathor her husband Horus and her young son Ihy (the god of music) were also worshiped, is recognized as one of the best Egyptian monuments that has survived to this day. The main celebrations in honor of Hathor always coincided with the major New Year holiday.
Coordinates: 26.14166700,32.67027800
Temple of Thoth in Luxor
The Temple of Thoth in Luxor is a historical monument of Egypt.
The shrine was built between 1925 and 1895 BC. The main building material is stone.
The ancient Egyptian Thoth was the god of wisdom and education, so huge statues of him were installed at the foot of the temple.
During the excavations, 4 bronze chests were also found at the base of the temple, the height of which is 20.5 centimeters, the width is 45 centimeters, and the length is 28.5 centimeters. They contained many silver balls, mostly crumpled, gold chains and molds, lapis lazuli - unprocessed or in the form of cylinder seals.
Coordinates: 25.68000000,32.65000000
Temple of Amon-Ra
The Temple of Amun-Ra is the most significant structure of the ancient Egyptian complex of Ipet-Isut, located in Karnak and included in the UNESCO list.
The temple has 10 pylons, the largest of which is 113 meters long, 15 meters wide, and about 45 meters high. The structure covers an area of 30 hectares and amazes with its grandeur, splendor and harmony.
The temple connects with the equally famous Luxor three-kilometer legendary Avenue of the Sphinxes. On the territory of the building there are huge columns decorated with skillful bas-reliefs depicting gods and pharaohs. Here you can admire the surviving colossal obelisks and statues.
The temple premises are divided into three walled parts dedicated to the gods Amon, Mont and Mut. The first part contains the sanctuaries of the gods Amun-Ra, Khonsu, Ipet, Ptah and the pharaohs Amenhotep the Second and Ramses the Third, as well as the “sacred barge” of Ramses the Second. You can also see the White, Red and Alabaster Chapels here. Near the central building there is a Sacred Lake, fed by groundwater. It surrounds the temple of the goddess Mut.
Coordinates: 25.71949800,32.65533700
Temple of Hatshepsut
The Temple of Hatshepsut is a luxurious architectural complex dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut, located at the foot of the Deir el-Bahri cliffs. The appearance of a female pharaoh among the rulers of Egypt is a very extraordinary event, which is why the structure and location of the temple are very unusual.
In ancient times, the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut was called differently - Djeser Djeseru, which translates as “The most sacred of the sacred.” Its construction lasted for nine years.
In addition to Hatshepsut herself, the complex at Deir el-Bahri was dedicated to Amon-Ra, the father of the ruler Thutmose I, elevated to the rank of deity, as well as Anubis, the guide to the afterlife, and the great protector of the dead, Hathor Imentet. There was once a lush garden in front of the temple, with exotic trees, bushes and small pools.
The unique reliefs of the temple, made by skilled craftsmen, tell the story of the main stages of the reign of this great, energetic and talented woman.
Coordinates: 25.73823600,32.60667900
Luxor Temple
The Luxor Temple, located on the right bank of the Nile, is the ruins of the central sanctuary of Amun-Ra. The monumental temple dedicated to the gods Amun, Khonsu and Mut is a striking example of architecture of the 16-11 centuries BC - the era of the New Kingdom. The grandiose structure is delightful in its scale, solemnity, harmony and beauty.
The temple is connected to the Karnak Temple by a 3-kilometer-long Avenue of the Sphinxes.
The most ancient part of the shrine, with halls decorated with inscriptions and monumental bas-reliefs, was founded during the reign of Amenhotep the Third. Then the kings of the 9th Dynasty added a courtyard with a colonnade and sculptures of the pharaohs. Then Ramses the Great built a pylon on which scenes of his military exploits are depicted. Four colossi and an obelisk adorn the northern entrance of the building.
Coordinates: 25.68390300,32.62844000
Ruins of the Temple of Osiris
The ruins of the Temple of Osiris attract tourists from many countries to Luxor. The temple is located in the legendary Valley of the Kings. Unfortunately, only ruins remain of the once great temple, but they are literally saturated with the history of Ancient Egypt. It was built quite a long time ago and is of historical value. It was built by Pharaoh Seti I, who reigned from 1294. Before 1279 BC.
The building itself is very complex in its design and has a very large number of rooms. Seti I did not complete the construction of the temple; this difficult task was completed by his son Ramesses II. The design is quite complex in its structure, but interesting. There were two halls, each of them was decorated with many columns. In the first hall there were 24 of them, and in the second - 36. The second hall was the most mysterious: passages were made from it to seven sanctuaries. Each sanctuary was dedicated to one of the seven gods (Osiris, Isis, Horus, Amon, Ra-Horakhty, Ptah and Ra). At the end, Seti I himself was deified. The chapels contained a statue of the god, a sacred boat and a false door. The spirit of the deity entered through this door.
Behind the temple itself is a building called the Osireion. On its walls you can see carved texts from the Necronomicon, the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Scientists are still studying the territory of the Temple of Osiris and conducting excavations on it.
Coordinates: 25.74080900,32.60187000
Montu Temple
Temple of Montu - Egyptian temple dedicated to the god of war Montu.
This shrine was built during the Old Kingdom. The temple was located in the ancient city of Medamud. This city was excavated in 1925 by French archaeologist Fernando Bisson de la Roque. During the excavations, numerous structures were discovered, as well as a temple.
Only columns and fragments of walls have survived to this day. The temple was built of brick and stone. The structure of the temple is as follows: platform, stands, canal, dromos, main gate, portico, hall and sanctuary. There was also a courtyard for a live sacred bull. The god Montu was associated with the raging bull, so the bull was a revered animal. Montu himself was also depicted with the head of a bull. A similar statue and figurines of bulls were found during excavations of the temple.
Coordinates: 25.68001400,32.60998500
Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is located in Egypt, in Luxor, at the foot of the Deir el-Bahri cliffs. The luxurious, majestic temple, built for the repose of the soul of the first and only female pharaoh in the history of ancient Egypt, was not only a concentration of luxury and grace, but also served as a repository of secrets, many of which have not been revealed to this day.
The reign of the queen was from 1525-1503. BC. Construction of the temple began during Hatshepsut’s lifetime, as was customary at that time. During the 22 years of her reign, peace was maintained in Egypt, active construction was carried out, and an expedition was sent to the distant country of Punt. It was a good, calm time for the Egyptians, and they glorified and revered their queen in numerous statues.
The temple amazes with its splendor. Stop, close your eyes and imagine - the alley of Sphinxes leads from the mighty Nile to the temple; the temple itself consists of three terraces, on which the purest bodies of water shimmer and play in the sun. And everything around is surrounded by green trees, you can hear the singing of birds of paradise, and the aromas and incredible beauty of plants and flowers will take your breath away. The temple seemed to be carved into the rock, decorated with statues of Hatshepsut in the guise of Osiris, reliefs, the walls were covered with rich paintings, above all this splendor towered the head of the goddess Hathor, carved from stone.
Coordinates: 25.72908600,32.62991000
Temples of Abydos
The ancient Egyptians revered the temples of Abydos as one of the world's greatest shrines. This city was considered a cult center dedicated to Osiris, as well as a gateway to the underworld.
The central attraction of Abydos is the Temple of Seti I, dedicated to the second pharaoh of the 19th dynasty (1290-1279 BC). This ruler is remembered not only as a successful conqueror, but also as a builder of temples, richly decorated with beautiful sculptures and exquisitely crafted hieroglyphs.
