Yesterday we visited the temple of Hatshepsut, located in Deir el-Bahri, which translates as the Northern Monastery. We were supposed to wake up early, but I had trouble sleeping the night before, probably from drinking too much Turkish coffee and tea in the day. So I stayed awake, reading and looking a bit into Hatshepsut's history and the significance of the temple. After finally getting to sleep really really late, I woke way too early at about ten. We got to the site a little after noon and there was brisk traffic. It is probably best to visit early in the AM, the temple opens at 6AM.
The temple itself is both massive and beautiful. It is cut into the mountain over looking the west bank, leading to the Nile. The views are breathtaking and the temple itself has been restored well. On our visit, it was not fully open, but we managed to get in and take peaks at a few places here and there.
Hatshepsut herself is noteworthy because as the first female ruling pharaoh, she is iconified by all who would align with female divine ruler-ship. Her story begins before her birth however. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I and Queen Aahmes or more correctly Queen Ahmose. The problem with this birth, however stems with who her maternal grandfather was, he was the Pharaoh Ahmose. The story is that Ahmose son, Amenhotep I, didn't leave a male heir to the throne. However, Hatshepsut's father Thutmose's was a military leader well in favor in Egypt at the time. This at a time very soon after the export of the Hykos from the kingdom and a rise in relative power. So power was passed through to Thutmose, because he had married into the family and was married to, at that time, Princess Ahmose.
The problem with this was nothing, initially. However, later when Thutmose married again, he had a son, Thutmose II. This presented no major problem, except that he didn't have the same degree of royal blood as Hatshepsut did, plus Hatshepsut was said to be born of a divine birth between God and the Pharaoh's mother, apparently not the first time this has happened, but a historical pattern of rulership in Egypt. So Amen gave Hatshepsut as divine child to Aahmes and Thutmose and for that matter the people of Egypt. She is said to have been a very just ruler, mostly at peace – who ruled both lands and visited Punt, which is now probably Djibouti or Sudan. She is said to have brought the trees at the entrance of the temple from her trip from Punt.
Her rulership was said to have been focused on helping and concern for the common people. Her death was initially thought to be due to political in fighting, but now a more common belief is that she died of either dental abscess or from advanced bone cancer, which is a cause of death associated with more than one Pharaoh. There seems to be more or less the desire to have a soap opera play out around the life and times of he queen, but many accusations are starting to prove unfounded. I think it is probably due to too much emphasis being placed on her gender and not enough being placed on her accomplishments and her ruler-ship.
Whatever the case, Thutmoses III later bore Amenhotep II, and Amenhotep II, Amenhotep III. Amenhotep III was father to Amenhotep IV, also known as Akhenaton. It is said that during Thutmoses III reign much damage was done in defacing the memory of Hatshepsut, however, I can't speak to that, when very few speak of the damage and destruction done much more recently.
I think this site should probably be seen in conjunction with another, the Medinet Habu, which I plan to see in a few days. This is said to be the resting place of the gods. Of course, the more modern site is a site constructed by Ramses III, but Hapshepsut also build a temple to Amen at this site.
The site visit was overall enjoyable. There is a bit of walking unless you take one of the motorized shuttles, but I prefered the walk. Jacob enjoyed walking up the slopping entry stairs, and many children enjoyed running up or down. Overall, there isn't an incredible amount at the site to see, but I would recommned the site because of its design and to pay homage to Hatshepsut.
