Temple of Hatshepsut (Deir el-Bahari)

Site, Luxor (ancient Thebes) · also called Deir el-Bahari, Djeser-djeseru, Hatshepsut Temple, Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahari tells the story of a woman who ruled as king (c. 1479–1458 BC) in fine painted reliefs, and shows where later kings chiselled her name away.

The Egyptians called it Djeser-djeseru, 'holiest of holy places'. It rises in three terraces against the cliffs of the West Bank. Her steward Senenmut is traditionally credited with the design. Next to it lie the ruins of the much older temple of Mentuhotep II.

The reliefs are low and delicate, and many keep their paint. Hatshepsut ruled first as regent for the young Thutmose III, then as king. In the texts she is often called 'he' and shown as a man, yet the grammar slips into the feminine here and there, a detail worth hunting for.

After her death her figures and names were attacked, many probably late in the reign of Thutmose III. Some cartouches were cut out; others were recut with the names of Thutmose I or Thutmose II. Where her figure was scraped away, the text beside it often survives, and her name can sometimes still be traced.

What to see and read

Punt colonnade

On the middle terrace, south side: ships sailing to Punt, houses on stilts, incense trees and the large queen of Punt. Captions name the goods and people.

Birth colonnade

North side of the middle terrace. Amun visits Hatshepsut's mother, and Khnum shapes the child on his potter's wheel: her claim to be born to rule.

Hathor chapel

Columns topped with the cow-eared face of Hathor, and scenes of soldiers and boats.

Anubis chapel

Bright colours. Hatshepsut and Thutmose III make offerings to Anubis; her figures are erased while his remain.

Senenmut's hidden portraits

Small kneeling figures of Senenmut, carved where the shrine doors would hide them when open.

Names you can find here

Signs to look for

Goddess Maat C10mꜣꜥt The goddess Maat begins Maatkare, Hatshepsut's throne name.
Raised arms D28kꜣ The raised arms, ka, are the middle of Maatkare.
Forepart of a lion F4ḥꜣt The lion's front spells hat in Hatshepsut, 'foremost of noble women'.
Noble on a chair holding a flail A51šps The noble on a chair spells shepes in Hatshepsut.
Bread loaf X1t The bread loaf marks feminine endings, a clue in texts about a female king.

Reading the hieroglyphs here

Come early. The temple faces east, and the low morning sun lights the reliefs.
The outline of an erased cartouche tells you a name was there; count the sign spaces to guess whose.
For faint, low relief, trace the signs over a photo in Hiero Lens.

Point your camera at a wall Hiero Lens boxes the signs and names them, on your phone; nothing is uploaded. On worn stone, trace a sign over the photo.

Questions

Why was Hatshepsut's name erased?

Her names and figures were removed from many monuments late in the reign of Thutmose III. The reasons are debated. Most scholars link it to the royal succession rather than personal hatred.

What is the Punt expedition?

A trade mission Hatshepsut sent to Punt, a land somewhere on the Red Sea coast of Africa. The reliefs show the ships, the people and the incense trees brought back.

Where it is

Open in OpenStreetMap · Written from published sources and not yet checked on site by our team: displays and open tombs change.