home Job The Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor is the mortuary temple of the queen at Deir el-Bahri. Temple of Hatshepsut in Egypt Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor

The Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor is the mortuary temple of the queen at Deir el-Bahri. Temple of Hatshepsut in Egypt Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor

Temple Queen Hatshepsut is an ancient landmark located in the desert near Thebes, or 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 - a large number of premises 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 rock temple became the largest and richest building 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.

The Deir el-Bahri gorge on the western bank of the Nile is a kind of monumental scene for Queen Hatshepsut’s transition to the afterlife. Its limestone, almost 100-meter steep wall is like a luxurious folded curtain, against which in the 15th century. BC. was built - more precisely, built into a natural wall - the funeral temple of Hatshepsut. This temple is considered the prototype of the Parthenon and other buildings of classical ancient architecture.

STAGES OF PERFECTION

Hatshepsut herself called the temple she was building “Djeser Djeseru” - “The Most Sacred of the Sacred,” which comprehensively explains its basic sacred concept.

Hatshepsut (1490/1489-1468 BC, 1479-1458 or 1504-1482 BC), female pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom, dedicated her mortuary temple to the supreme god of Ancient Egypt Amon-Ra. A papyrus has been preserved in which she calls God her father at the beginning of construction. When the temple was built, she became its high priestess with the title "wife of Amon." The main architect of the temple, who directly supervised all work on the site, was Senenmut (Senmug) - a confidant and, according to some information, a close personal friend of the dowager queen.

The temple was conceived by him as the greatest structure; this plan was carried out fully and brilliantly. Today it appears to us no longer completely in its original form: the catastrophic cataclysms of past eras played a role, of course. But it all started much earlier, with one purely family dramatic story. Hatshepsut became pharaoh after the death of her husband and brother Thutmose II in 1490 BC. Twelve-year-old Thutmose III (the pharaoh’s son from his concubine Isis) was proclaimed the “sole” pharaoh, and Hatshepsut as his regent. A year and a half later, the priests proclaimed Hatshepsut a full-fledged pharaoh. When Thutmose grew up and after the death of Hatshepsut returned to the throne, he began to cruelly take revenge on his stepmother - the usurper of power, as he believed. All her images were destroyed or the faces on them and all mentions of the queen on cartouches were erased, her name was replaced by the names of Thutmose I, Thutmose II and Thutmose III.

This is the most common version of the behavior of Thugmose III. There is an alternative opinion of historians on this matter: the young man Thutmose did not take revenge on his own initiative, but was a puppet in the hands of intriguing officials who considered only the power of a man legitimate, although even before Hatshepsut there were female pharaohs in the history of Egypt. But there certainly was no such influential and brilliant ruler: Egypt flourished under her. The Queen's Temple is the best embodiment of this fact. To imagine what he was like, it is not enough to see him, you also need to use your imagination. This can be done through archaeological research that continues to this day.

The temple began from a pylon, behind which there was a processional road, on the sides of which stood painted statues of sphinxes. Near the walls of the temple, a garden of trees and shrubs, brought by the queen in tubs from the country of Punt, was green and blooming. Two T-shaped pools were dug among the trees. The temple itself was carved into the rocky wall, as if growing out of it. The basis of its design is three huge terraces, located in steps one above the other. On each of the terraces there was an open courtyard, covered hypostyle rooms - porticoes, behind them there were sanctuaries extending into the thickness of the rock. The tiers of the temple were connected by gently sloping platforms-ramps for the entry of chariots. In total, about 200 statues were installed in the temple, 140 of them in the form of sphinxes. The queen appeared both as a sphinx, and in an “Osyrian” appearance, and as a pharaoh - in a white male robe, with her arms crossed on her chest, in which she held the royal scepters, and on her chin she had a narrow strip of a false beard, which was worn by male pharaohs.

The relief compositions of the first tier represent multi-figured colorful scenes from the history of the unification of the Egyptian lands. The second tier is dedicated to the personality of the current ruler, Hatshepsut, her high origin and relationship with the gods, who, of course, treated her with patronizing favor, which promised the further development of the state and the prosperity of all its subjects. There was a mythical plot that was fundamentally important for the queen: Amon enters the chambers of Ahmes, Hatshepsut’s mother, in the guise of her earthly husband, therefore, she, Hatshepsut, is really the daughter of Amun himself.

A PLACE FOR ANOTHER LIFE

In all the funeral temples that the Egyptian pharaohs built, the spiritual component was immediately followed by rational meaning and strict engineering calculations, coupled with purely aesthetic considerations. Such is the temple of Hatshepsut.

Senenmut chose the site for the temple meticulously, consulting with mathematicians and land surveyors. The result was the selection of a point on the conditional axis coming from Great Temple Amun-Ra in Karnak, which is located approximately 2.5 km from Deir el-Bahri, and ending in the Valley of the Kings, where the tomb of Hatshepsut had already been prepared, and this is very close to the temple.

Despite the uniqueness of the Temple of Hatshepsut, its architectural concept was not completely original. In part, it duplicates the design of the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep I, the founder of the XI dynasty, during whose reign in the middle of the 21st century. BC. order was restored in the country after 200 years of civil strife. Little has been preserved from the predecessor temple, but according to the drawings and reconstructions of archaeologists of the early 20th century. you can see that both temples have something in common: for example, the same stepped terraces, covered colonnades, and ramps, and the general proportions are similar. True, there was also a pyramidal top above the Mentuhotep temple. Some researchers find in the temple of Hatshepsut allusions to the terraced mortuary temple of Queen Ahmes-Nefertari in Abydos. These facts prove once again: even a borrowed idea, fertilized by the inspiration of the creator (and Senenmut was a creator on a large scale), can surpass the model taken for imitation.

The main axis of the temple was set at azimuth 116°. On the days of the winter solstice, the axis aligns with the sunrise point. Sunlight penetrates through an opening in the roof of the sanctuary of Amun to the back wall of the chapel, after which it moves to the right, falling on one of the statues of Osiris that stands on either side of the door. Then he moves to the image of Amon, and after him to the kneeling figure of Thutmose III, ending the sheaf of light on the figure of the god Nile Hapi. And one more thing: during 41 days before and 41 days after the solstice, sunlight reaches the inner chamber of the sanctuary.

The ramps of the temple, which at first glance looked like decorative elements, divided the terraces into northern and southern parts, thereby creating an additional rigid element of the building frame: earthquakes in the gorge are by no means impossible.

A strict hierarchy was also observed in the list of gods and people to whom the temple was dedicated. Amon-Ra, his “daughter” and “wife” Hatshepsut, the deified real father of Hatshepsut Pharaoh Thutmose I, the guide to the underworld Anubis, a deity with the head of a jackal and the body of a man, and Hathor-Imentet - whose name (Hathor) means “ monastery of Chorus." Horus is the “solar” falcon and the god of order. Hathor was considered the wife of Horus, was the goddess of the sky, love, femininity, fun and also the protector of the necropolis of Thebes. Imentet is the West, as the ancient Egyptians symbolically called the entrance to the kingdom of the dead. Hathor-Imentet met the deceased at the door of another world in the West, took care of him and did not give offense. She was depicted as a “heavenly cow” - a woman with cow horns on her head. In a word, the afterlife, another life of Hatshepsut, with such powerful patrons, promised to be serene. The high priests Amun and Montu, the patron saint of Thebes, were buried on the terraces of the temple. In Greco-Roman times, in the temple, next to the images of Amun, images of two deified persons were carved - the architect and healer Imhotep and the architect Amenhotep, the son of Hapu. And people began to reach out to the walls of the temple for hopes of healing and protection. On the walls of the temple there are inscriptions with prayers for deliverance from suffering, at least in the afterlife.

ATTRACTIONS

Entrance pylon.
Ramps.
Terraces.
Covered first and second courtyards.
Upper level colonnade
Chapels of Hathor.
Lower and upper chapels of Anubis.
Chapels of Hatshepsut and Thutmose I.
Sanctuary of Amun.
Tomb of Senenmut.
"Osyrian" sculptures, sphinxes and other artifacts from the temple are in the Luxor Museum of Antiquities, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Egyptian Museum in Berlin and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

FUN FACTS

The modern Arabic name for the Deir el-Bahri gorge, in which the temple is located, means “Northern Monastery” in Arabic: during the early Christian period there was a Coptic monastery here, of which no traces remain.

It is still unknown where the “country of Punt” was located - the “Land of the Gods”, where many Egyptian pharaohs made military and peaceful campaigns, including Hatshepsut, who brought seedlings of trees and shrubs from there to decorate her temple. The main hypotheses name the following countries: Ethiopia, northern Somalia, Zimbabwe, Kenya. India, which is more distant from Egypt, also figures in similar assumptions. Russian Egyptologists admit that the country of Punt could also be located in the Black Sea region, namely in the Colchis valley. Hypotheses are based on the key interests of the Egyptians, which forced them to make trips to Punt: vegetation, thanks to which they can obtain incense and myrrh, incense, spices and the seashore. But none of the hypotheses have been convincingly proven. And yet, given the not very great navigational skills of the Egyptians and the duration sea travel, the most likely location of the mysterious Punta is the coast between modern-day Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.

For a long time it was unknown where Hatshepsut was buried: her two official tombs were empty. In 1903, archaeologist G. Carter in the Valley of the Kings opened the tomb KV 60 with two mummies of women. One of them, it was written on the sarcophagus, bore the name Satra Inn. It was noble lady, close to the queen, perhaps her nanny in childhood. The second mummy could not be identified; there were no inscriptions on the sarcophagus. There was no assumption that this was Hatshepsut: during her lifetime, the mummy was a plump woman, and all images of the queen presented her as slender. Then the first mummy was sent to the museum, sealing the tomb. The mummy remained lying on the floor, her sarcophagus was taken away. They returned to her only in 1989, suddenly remembering that the mummy’s right hand lay on her chest, touching her heart. Only monarchs were buried in this position. In 2007, genetic studies were carried out. The DNA of the epithelium of the mummy and the ashes of Hatshepsut's grandmother Ahmose Nefertari was compared. The conclusions of the examination were confirmed by a tomographic scan, which proved that the tooth found in the box with the cartouche of Hatshepsut in 1880 was the same one that was missing from the “complete” mummy. And it was announced: this mummy is the remains of Hatshepsut. As for the grace of the statues, everything is explainable: the appearance powerful of the world Artists embellished this even in ancient times.

It is also unknown exactly why two chapels are dedicated to Anubis in the temple of Hatshepsut - on the lower and upper levels. One can only guess what was so emphasized: Anubis is on guard from the beginning to the end of the queen’s transition to the afterlife.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Historical and architectural monument Ancient Egypt on the west bank of the Nile.

Historical name of the region: Upper Egypt.

Administrative affiliation: modern Egyptian city of Luxor.

Construction time: approximately 1482-1473. BC.

Language: Arabic.

The monetary unit of modern Egypt is the Egyptian pound.

Nearest airport: Luxor (international).

NUMBERS

Temple height: approx. 30 m.

Length: 240 m.

Width: up to 100 m.

Processional road width: 37 m.

Initial number of sculptures in the temple: approx. 200.

Height above y. m.: 107 m.

CLIMATE

Tropical desert.

Average January temperature: +14.4°C.

Average July temperature: +33.2°C.

Average annual precipitation: 2.65 mm (morning dew).

The ancient capital of Egypt, Thebes, was famous for its architectural masterpieces. Its symmetrically located complex of temples can be divided into two parts: on the eastern bank of the Nile, secular buildings settled - houses, palaces, temples (in Karnak and Luxor), while on the western bank everything was dedicated to the dead - pyramids, necropolises, mortuary temples. In this kingdom of the dead, the temples of Abu Simbel (temple of Ramesses II) and, in fact, the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor were especially popular.

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut: history and description

After the death of Pharaoh Thutmose II, his wife Hatshepsut assumed power, taking this right from the true successor Thutmose III. With the beginning of her reign, she immediately took up ambitious construction work.

The construction of the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut began during her lifetime. The construction of this majestic structure was led by the architect Senmut. Currently, the area where the temple of Hatshepsut is located in Egypt is called Deir el-Bahri. The location was chosen not far from the temple of Mentuhotep I, who was the founder of the 18th dynasty of pharaohs. Perhaps by this Hatshepsut wanted to emphasize her right to the captured throne. After completion of the work, the rock temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor surpassed all existing similar ancient Egyptian structures - its size, architecture and decoration amazed contemporaries.

Three steps connected by gentle ramps lead to the sanctuary of the temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahri, carved into the rock. The steps are terraces that in the past contained plants, trees and ponds. On the way to the temple, the traveler was accompanied by brightly painted sphinxes, with the heads of Hatshepsut in the image of Osiris.

The lowest step is surrounded by a wall decorated with falcons. At the end of this terrace there is a portico with 22 columns and a ramp separating them. In the old days, lion figures and huge statues of Queen Hatshepsut were located here. On the same tier there are images telling about forgotten military parades and construction work.

The second tier of the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Luxor in some ways repeats the lower step - there is also a portico and a ramp leading to the step above. Previously there was a pond with trees here. Reliefs at this level tell about the life of Queen Hatshepsut herself, about the expedition she organized to the country of Punt (East African settlements). The staircase contains figures of cobras with falcons on their backs. Cobras are a symbol of Upper Egypt, Falcons are a symbol of Lower Egypt, the whole composition symbolizes the unity of a large state. Here again you come across several sphinxes.

Hatshepsut as the Sphinx

The topmost tier is intended directly for rituals. The entrance to the rock-cut sanctuary of Hatshepsut was once decorated with a portico with huge statues of the queen, which were visible even to ships sailing on the Nile.

Entrance to the Sanctuary

Behind the entrance there was a complex system of rocky underground halls, richly decorated with the best materials of antiquity. For example, the main door was made of black copper with gold and silver inserts. The statues of Hatshepsut-Osiris were also located here.

Osiric Hatshepsut

In total, the temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Thebes used to contain about 200 statues, of which 140 were sphinxes. The sculptures of the temple represent the queen in three images - pharaoh, Osiris and sphinx. When creating them, special attention was paid to reproducing a detailed image of the queen, so in our time we can accurately imagine what she looked like.

But all this beauty was not destined to live long. After the true heir Thutmose III came to power, everything that reminded him of the usurper was ordered to be destroyed. The rock temple of Hatshepsut was also subjected to such repression, in which all the sculptures were destroyed and buried not far from the temple. And only many centuries later, archaeologists managed to restore the picture of the former greatness of the temple and present it to tourists and other lovers of antiquity.

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

Last minute tours in Egypt
Tours for May Worldwide

Previous photo Next photo

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 appearance 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. He worked on the creation of this temple chief architect Senenmut. 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 in 1891 was the first of all scientists to begin the reconstruction of the temple. 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 the temple of Hatshepsut 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, it's worth taking with you more water and dress in comfortable clothes.

Address: Desir al-Bahri, Thebes, Luxor

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 14:35 + to quote book

The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is located at the very foot of the Deir el-Bahri cliffs. The complex of the temple 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 carried out 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. Possibly Punt was located on the northern coast of 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 mysterious country 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 - sloping roads, replacing stairs and dividing terraces into southern and northern parts.

The entrance to the temple is 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 temple complex Amun at Karnak. 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 Amun-Ra, which was the most important and most intimate part of the entire temple of Deir el-Bahri.

The walls along 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 Amon-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 east coast rivers to Karnak. 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 hidden every time 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.