Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is a monumental construction in Egypt, Africa. UNESCO World Heritage List: Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis dates it to c. 1479-1458 BCE. Its listed material is Limestone. UNESCO World Heritage List: Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis also records: “Mortuary temple.”
Colonnaded terraces set against the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari.
What makes it extraordinary
Dual Axes and the Beautiful Festival of the Valley
The temple's architecture is defined by two primary axes serving distinct religious functions. The central east-west axis points across the Nile toward the Eighth Pylon at Karnak, designed to receive the barque of Amun-Re during the annual Beautiful Festival of the Valley. Conversely, the north-south axis represents the pharaoh's life cycle from coronation to rebirth. This alignment facilitated a 1-kilometer processional route from a valley temple, along a sphinx-lined causeway, through the main entrance gate, and up the ramps to the inner sanctuary.
Terraced Design and Middle Kingdom Influence
Constructed during the 18th Dynasty, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, known as Djeser-Djeseru, features three massive limestone terraces rising 24.5 meters against the Deir el-Bahari cliffs. Its design was heavily influenced by the adjacent 11th Dynasty Temple of Mentuhotep II, built six centuries earlier. While it mirrors the earlier temple's terraced form, Hatshepsut's complex is unique in its arrangement, particularly in elevating the sanctuary of Amun-Re to the central axis, a position traditionally reserved for the pharaoh's mortuary cult in earlier pyramid-age complexes.
Ritual Consecration and Foundation Deposits
Before construction, a 'stretching of the cord' foundation ritual was performed, depicted in detail on the lower terrace's south portico. This ceremony involved Hatshepsut and the goddess Seshat. Archaeologists have discovered sixteen foundation deposits outlining the temple's perimeter, containing pottery, tools, scarabs, and ritual offerings. Some items, such as travertine vases and hammering stones, bear the names of Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, and Princess Neferure. This practice, dating back to the Third Dynasty, was intended to ritually purify and protect the building's footprint.
History of Archaeological Recovery
Modern exploration began with Richard Pococke in 1737, followed by major excavations by Auguste Mariette in the 1850s and Édouard Naville for the Egypt Exploration Fund (1893–1906). Since 1961, the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology has led extensive restoration efforts. This long-term project has gradually opened new areas to the public, including the festival courtyard in 2000, the solar cult court in 2015, and the sanctuary of Amun in 2017. These efforts have reconstructed the third terrace and consolidated the temple's limestone structure for tourism.
The Largest Chamber and Mortuary Rituals
Located in the southern section of the upper courtyard, the mortuary cult complex contains the temple's largest room: Hatshepsut’s offering hall. Measuring 13.25 meters deep and 5.25 meters wide with a 6.35-meter vaulted ceiling, it emulates the scale of Old Kingdom pyramid temples. The hall features a red granite false door where priests offered food and drink to the pharaoh's 'ka' (spirit). Adjacent to it is a smaller offering hall for her father, Thutmose I, reinforcing the temple's primary function as a site for royal funerary worship.
The Solar-Lit Sanctuary of Amun-Re
The sanctuary of Amun-Re, located at the temple's innermost point on the central axis, was designed to house the god's barque. The first chamber featured a unique skylight that allowed natural light to illuminate the statue of Amun. Its red granite entrance lintel depicts two seated Amuns with kings kneeling before them, symbolizing the god's supremacy. Although once thought to be a Ptolemaic addition, the discovery of reliefs depicting Hatshepsut confirms the third chamber was part of the original 18th Dynasty construction, though it was later modified by Ptolemy VIII.
Propagandistic Reliefs of Divine Birth and Punt
The middle terrace porticoes contain some of the temple's most significant reliefs, serving to legitimize Hatshepsut's rule. The southwest portico depicts a famous maritime expedition to the Land of Punt, showcasing the transport of exotic goods to Thebes. The northwest portico features the oldest known 'divine birth' cycle, portraying Hatshepsut as the literal offspring of the god Amun-Re (disguised as Thutmose I) and Queen Ahmose. These scenes were intended to provide a theological and genealogical basis for her occupation of the throne as a female pharaoh.
Systematic Erasure Under Thutmose III
Approximately twenty years after Hatshepsut's death, Thutmose III initiated a campaign to erase her legacy. Methods ranged from scratching out feminine pronouns to the total destruction of statuary. Workers dragged statues to the 'Hatshepsut Hole' or nearby quarries to be smashed with sledgehammers. While some scholars once viewed this as personal revenge, modern consensus suggests it was likely a political move to resolve dynastic disputes or repudiate the concept of female kingship, ensuring the smooth succession of Thutmose III's son, Amenhotep II, to the throne.
Akhenaten’s Iconoclasm and Coptic Occupation
During the Amarna Period, the temple suffered a second wave of defacement when Akhenaten ordered the removal of images of traditional Egyptian gods, particularly Amun. These were later restored by Tutankhamun, Horemheb, and Ramesses II. Centuries later, between the 6th and 8th centuries AD, the site was converted into the Coptic monastery of Saint Phoibammon. During this period, Christian monks painted images of Christ and other saints over the original pharaonic reliefs, and the latest recorded pilgrim graffito at the site dates to approximately 1223.
Subsidiary Shrines to Hathor and Anubis
The middle terrace is flanked by two significant subsidiary shrines. The southern Hathor shrine, accessed by its own ramp, features columns with Hathor-headed capitals and two hypostyle halls. It emphasizes Hatshepsut's connection to the goddess, who represented the Deir el-Bahari hills. To the north lies the smaller Anubis shrine, containing a 12-column hypostyle hall. Reliefs here show Anubis escorting Hatshepsut, a scene Egyptologists link to her divine birth narrative, as the name of Anubis was often used to designate the rightful heir to the throne.
