The Queen who would be Pharaoh: the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt

Hatshepsut, fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, has been called one of Ancient Egypt’s most successful pharaohs.

And yet, she was almost removed from history! 

Hatshepsut, whose name means: “Foremost of Noble Ladies” was born to power. She was the only surviving child of King Thutmose I, the third pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, and his primary wife. However, Thutmose I had a son: Thutmose II, by a minor wife, and this ‘lesser son’ became the next pharaoh.

The politics and timelines are fuzzy, but at around age 12, Hatshepsut married her half-brother Thutmose II and thus became Queen; some say the marriage was to strengthen Thutmose II’s claim to the succession. Others believe that Hatshepsut was the true power behind the throne. She always maintained that she was her father’s intended heir. 

Thutmose II fathered a son by a minor wife before his death, and the widowed Hatshepsut took the role of Regent for the infant Thutmose III before declaring herself Pharaoh in her own right. She was not Egypt’s first female pharaoh, but she was the first to proclaim herself such when there was a living male heir.

Again, the motives behind this unusual move have been debated, with traditional Egyptologists arguing that it was her ambition that drove her. More recent scholars have suggested that there was a political crisis, and Hatshepsut was once again shoring up the lineage. She could not have become pharaoh without strong allies at court. She was well trained in royal administrative and religious duties, and she was clearly seen as a competent ruler by her subjects. 

Hatshepsut’s 21-year reign is now recognised as a time of peace and prosperity for Egypt. She reopened trade routes, including to to the fabled land of Punt – believed to be the coastal regions of the Horn of Africa. The riches of the realm allowed her to commission hundreds of building projects; she is said to have been one of the most prolific builders in Ancient Egypt. 

All records suggest that she and her stepson worked well together, and there is no evidence that her rule was ever challenged. This makes it only more strange that long after her death -two decades into the reign of her successor, Thutmose III – much of her legacy was erased. Her name was removed from the list of kings, many of her monuments were defaced, her cartouches and images were chiseled off stone walls, her statues were toppled, and depictions of her in hieroglyphics were painted over with male figures. Future pharaohs took credit for many of her building projects.

Once again, the motivation is unclear: the classic argument is that Thutmose III was acting out of jealousy and spite after being denied his rightful rule for so long. However, this belies the fact that he was politically active and commanded armies during his stepmother’s reign, and one would have to ask why he waited twenty years! It is more likely that this erasure from history was to protect the place of Thutmose III’s son, co-regent, and successor: Amenhotep II.

For many years, Egyptologists knew very little about Hatshepsut. Fortunately, the attempts to expunge her were incomplete, and many images of the female pharaoh still exist. Her rule was rediscovered in 1822 when scholars of Ancient Egypt were able to decode and read the hieroglyphics on the walls of Deir el-Bahri.

What they unearthed led noted Egyptologist James Henry Breasted to pronounce Hatshepsut “the first great woman in history of whom we are informed.”

Hatshepsut clearly wanted to be remembered. On her obelisk, she inscribed: 

“Now my heart turns this way and that, as I think what the people will say. Those who see my monuments in years to come, and who shall speak of what I have done.”

She certainly left her mark.

Until next time,

Happy Wandering!

Pictures: 07October2019