•Deir el bahari temple of Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut reigned for 22 years but the most amazing thing about her reign is that she aggressively pursued a policy of economic expansion so she had ships fleets crossing the Mediterranean establishing colonies in distant places along the coast of canal.
She built a tremendous economic prosperity, a great prosperity for Egypt. But as happens to all eventually,
she went to her eternal rest, now before that she had her architect design and build her funerary temple, her burial place. It happens to be one of the most beautiful buildings in Egypt. It is Deir el bahari temple
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•The most beautiful temple in Egypt
It’s glorious beautiful, you could say modern style, it isn’t the pyramid type, it isn’t a hole in a mountain, it is a building that was built with columns going up on three levels and within that building was the burial chamber and a little burial chamber on the side where the architect made one for himself.
Which is another story the relationship between the Queen and the architect. The temple is across the nile from Karnak, it’s right near the valley of the Kings on the western bank of the Nile, and there was of course an Avenue going from the banks of the Nile to the entrance of the temple.
Her statue was carved in bar relief on the side walls as you entered. The interesting things that after she died,
the young man Thotmos III became King, as mad as hell, he spent a couple of angry weeks or months trying to annihilate her, and chopped her sculptures from the walls.
This temple is dedicated to the god Amon, a statue of Horus the Falcon God stands at the entrance, the third level has hugs statues of Hatshepsut lined the columns, the third courtyard surrounded by chapels, and the sanctuary of Amon taking centre stage.
•Tomb of Hatshepsut
The pharaohs would hide their tombs in the valley, but they would be remembered with a very high profile.
Mortuary temple, can you just imagine this place when it was landscaped and filled with beautifully boldly-coloured reliefs, gorgeous statues.
This is the history’s first great woman ruler, from 1500 years before Christ. She had to declare herself king and she even had herself portrayed with a ceremonial beard.
That temple is an extraordinary place. It is built directly against the vast cliff face.
We can’t think of a more dramatic environment for architecture. Those cliffs are towering and their organic qualities are in such contrast to the regular order and structure of the built environment.
It has that sense of permanence, that sense of stability that is expressed by that wall of living rock is a perfect expression of the very sense of stability.
•How to visit the temple
During your visit to Luxor you can book a tour to the western bank of the Nile and visit the temple of Hatshepsut and the valley of the kings nearby and in the way you can stop to see the two massive statues of Memnon
You can also hire a private car from the eastern bank to make this tour .
but we always recommend to book a guided tours , it is better for you and it will be more fun.
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