Around Africa: Part Thirteen

In which I explored the Hatshepsut temple

18.12.2023: Tour Day 7, City 9

It was the most beautiful temple visited so far on the journey. It's three massive terraces rise above the desert floor and into the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari. The queen's tomb lies inside the same massive capped by El Qurn, a pyramid for her mortuary complex. The opening feature of the temple is the three terraces fronted by a portico leading up to the temple proper. Each elevated terrace was accessed by a ramp which bifurcated the porticoes.

The lower terrace features two Persea (Mimusops schimperi) trees, two T-shaped basins which held papyri and flowers, and two recumbent lion statues on the ramp balustrade.

Middle terrace

The west porticoes contain 22 columns arranged in two rows while the north portico contains 15 columns in a single row. The south-west portico depicts the expedition to the Land of Punt and the transportation of exotic goods to Thebes. The north-west portico reliefs narrate the divine birth of Hatshepsut to Thutmose I, represented as Amun-Re, and Ahmose.

Hathor shrine

At the south end of the middle terrace is a shrine dedicated to the goddess Hathor. The shrine is separated from the temple and is accessed by a ramp from the lower terrace. The ramp opens to a portico adorned with four columns carrying Hathor capitals.

Anubis shrine

At the north end of the middle terrace is a shrine dedicated to the god Anubis. It comprises a hypostyle hall adorned with 12 columns arranged into three rows of four, followed by a sequence of two rooms terminating at a small niche.

The upper terrace opens to 26 columns each fronted by a 5.2m tall Osiride statue of Hatshepsut. They are split in the centre by a granite gate through which the festival courtyard was entered. 

The sanctuary of Amun lies west on the main axis, to the north was the solar cult court, and to the south is a chapel dedicated to the mortuary cults of Hatshepsut and Thutmose I.

Situated at the back of the temple, on its main axis, is the sanctuary of Amun, to whom Hatshepsut had dedicated the temple as 'a garden for my father Amun'

The solar cult is accessed from the courtyard through a vestibule occupied by three columns in the north side of the upper terrace courtyard. The doorjamb of the entrance is embellished with the figures of Hatshepsut, Ra-Horakhty (Horus) and Amun. The reliefs in the vestibule contain images of Thutmose I and Thutmose III.

The arrangement of the temple and tomb bear a spatial resemblance to the pyramid complexes of the Old Kingdom, which comprised five central elements: valley temple, causeway, mortuary temple, main pyramid, and cult pyramid. 

Done with an hour of exploring the temple, we returned to the bus. We had lunch at 2:45pm at A New Taste of India restaurant. 

Finally Indian food after ages. We further drove to the Karnak temple and reached there by 3:30pm. This was the last temple visit and the last leg of the Egypt explorers journey. More on the temple in the next post.