Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple

Hatshepsut was the first queen of Egypt to refer to herself unconditionally as a pharaoh. She wore the kingly false beard and garments and ruled remarkably for twenty-two years. Queen Hatshepsut was the daughter of King Thutmose I and became the wife of Thutmose II, her half-brother. He died young and Hatshepsut displayed great influence over his successor. Thutmose III succeeded to the throne while still a boy, hence, Egypt was ruled by Hatshepsut until Thutmose retrieved his birthright.

The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut was built by the Great Steward of Amun, Sennemut, a commoner who became the queen's trusted advisor and possible lover. It was a radical change from other 18th dynasty structures. The ramp lies directly opposite the main entrance to the temple of Amun at Karnak and has three terraces. This mortuary temple has longed been admired for its beauty nestled at the foot of the great white cliffs. Unfortunately, much of the relief work depicting various events which Hatshepsut deemed worthy of being recorded was destroyed by Thutmose III, especially any mention of Hatshepsut herself. Wherever possible the Queen's face was scratched off and her cartouches were changed to his. It's not certain what happened to Hatshepsut; she simply disappeared. Was she murdered by Thutmose III? Or did she simply leave of her own accord with her lover?