The Woman Power in Ancient Egypt-Queen Hatshepsut

 Continues from The Valley of Kings!

We were driving to the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, when Nariman told us the story of the only one powerful woman Pharaoh in Egypt. Queen Hatshepsut was the sister and first wife of King Thutmose II. After the death of the King she claimed the throne replacing her child nephew/step son Thutmose III.

Queen Hatshepsut’s twenty year’s rule was a golden era in Egyptian history. Trading and economy flourished, temples were restored or newly constructed and Egyptian culture flourished to a new realm. However the good times didn’t last longer. Her nephew, Thutmose III, also known as "the Napoleon of ancient Egypt,” had married Queen Hatshepsut’s daughter and rose into power.

Thutmose III started wiping off the signs of Queen Hatshepsut from Egypt.  He cut her names away from the temple walls and destroyed the monuments constructed by her. However, Queen Hatshepsut’s charisma prevailed over these wile activities. 

We reached Queen Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el Bahri by noon. The burning sun competed with my idea to visit the temple. I finally got down from the car.

In front of

Queen Hatshepsut’s temple

Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was indeed a token for the female Pharaoh’s power. Standing in the higher realms of desert plain in a series of terraces, the temple beheld its majesty. A root of the tree once brought by Queen Hatshepsut from Punt during an expedition was covered and exhibited at the temple entrance.

The temple looked synonymous with the heat reflecting limestone cliffs around it. Nature must have lent its hand in the construction of this temple. 

Woman Power: In front of

Queen Hatshepsut’s statue

The monuments of the female Pharaoh arrayed the temple corridors. However, in comparison with the other temples that we had visited, the temple was smaller in its area.  The walls depicted many expeditions of Queen Hatshepsut, whose names and face have been erased at many places.

After some minutes of visit, we came out. The temple overlooked green fields and hills at the opposite side. They seemed to be a mirage at that point and a token of the contradicting culture that we might never comprehend!

 Continues in The Valley of Workers and Colosssi of Memnon