Temple of Hatshepsut

Luxor West Bank - Temples

The Temple of Hatshepsut - The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th dynasty was built just north of the temple of Mentuhotep Nebhepetre, in the bay of cliffs known as Deir el-Bahari. In ancient times this place was called Djeser-djeseru, meaning "holy of holies". It was undoubtedly influenced by the style of the earlier temple at Deir el-Bahari, but the construction of Hatshepsut surpassed everything that had been built in architecture before.

The woman pharaoh chose the site of her temple in the sacred Theban valley of the Goddess of the West, but, more importantly, it was on a direct axis with Karnak - the Temple of Amun on the east bank. In addition, a short distance away on the other side of the mountain behind the temple was the tomb that Hatshepsut built for herself in the Valley of the Kings (KV20).
The Temple of Hatshepsut was built on three successive levels, with a causeway leading to its valley temple (now lost), which was connected to the Nile by a canal. Gardens of trees were planted in front of the lower court.
Near the first court there are colonnades on the southern and northern sides of the ramp leading up to the second court. At the end of the northern colonnade stood a colossal statue of the queen, which has been rebuilt and re-erected from fragments.

The reliefs in the southern lower portico are very shallow and often hard to make out, but if the light is right they are very interesting. They show the transport by ship of two obelisks from the granite quarries in Aswan, escorted by soldiers, standard-bearers, musicians and priests. Further along the wall, but even harder to recognise, the queen offers the obelisks to Amun at Karnak and shows the consecration ceremony.
In the centre of the upper court at the back is the sanctuary of Amun - the heart of the temple, which was cut deep into the mountain rock (not currently open to visitors). It would have been the resting place for the barque of Amun during the "Valley Festival". Two chambers behind the scenes show the Sanctuary of Hatshepsut, with her daughter Neferure and Thutmose III worshipping various gods. The temple was later extended by Ptolemy VIII Euergetes, who added a third chamber dedicated to Imhotep and Amenhotep son of Hapu, who were worshipped as deities at that time and associated with the gods of healing.