Deir el-Bahari

The temple of the female king Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari is the most conspicuous and enduring architectural legacy from the remarkable achievements of one of Egypt’s most charismatic rulers. Construction on the temple in the stunning bay of limestone cliffs at Deir el-Bahari probably began early in Hatshepsut’s reign. It is widely held that her “chief steward” and most prominent official of the times, Senenmut, played a prominent role in its design – a design that culminated in one of ancient Egypt’s most innovative and beautiful buildings.

Constructed from locally quarried limestone, the temple consists of a series of free-standing terraces connected by paved ramps. Its harmonious lines blend sublimely with the rugged mountain setting, giving the appearance of having been carved from the rock itself. Hatshepsut had clearly been strongly influenced by the adjacent, though less well preserved, temple of Nebhepetre Montuhotep II, a king of the Middle Kingdom’s XIth Dynasty. Deir el-Bahari principally served as a centre of worship for the god Amen-re as well as a cult centre for Hatshepsut herself and her father Tuthmosis I. It also housed subsidiary shrines in honour of a number of other deities, most notably the local cult of Hathor, Anubis and the sun-god, Re-Horakhty.

Date of Construction: Reign of female king Hatshepsut (co-regent with Tuthmosis III, 1472 – 1457 B.C.), daughter of Tuthmosis I and wife of Tuthmosis II.

Highlights:
“Obelisk Transportation” scenes
“Trading Expedition to Punt” scenes
“Divine Birth of Hatshepsut” reliefs
Sanctuary of Hathor
Upper Peristyle Court with Festival scenes.

Your personal expert guide to Deir el-Bahari: £2.99

 

1. The Reign of Hatshepsut - 1:39
2. An Introduction to Deir el-Bahari - 2:22
3. The Temple Gardens - 1:26
4. Southern Colonnade, Transporting a Pair of Obelisks - 1:29
5. Sanctuary of Hathor - 1:54
6. Southern Colonnade, An Expedition to Punt - 4:02
7. Northern Colonnade, Divine Birth of Hatshepsut - 2:00
8. Sanctuary of Anubis - 0:45
9. Osiride Statues - 0:50
10. Peristyle Court - 1:03
11. Festival Scenes - 0:59
12. Sanctuary of Re-Horakhty - 1:03
13. Main Sanctuary - 0:57
14. Sanctuaries of Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis I - 0:55
15. Senenmut, Royal Confidant - 1:40
16. Festival of the Valley - 2:25

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