The Mortuary Temple of the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut near the Valley of the Queens at Luxor in Egypt


Hatshepsut meaning, Foremost of Noble Ladies was the fifth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt. She is generally regarded by Egyptologists as one of the most successful pharaohs, reigning longer than any other woman of an indigenous Egyptian dynasty. Although records of her reign are documented in diverse ancient sources, Hatshepsut was described by early modern scholars as only having served as a co-regent from about 1479 to 1458 BC, during years seven to twenty-one of the reign previously identified as that of Thutmose III. Now it is known widely that Hatshepsut assumed the position of pharaoh and her reign as king is usually given as twenty-two years. The date of her death is known to have occurred in 1458 BC, which implies that she became pharaoh circa 1479 BC. Although it was uncommon for Egypt to be ruled by a woman, this situation was not unprecedented. Her reign was long and prosperous. She was successful in warfare early in her reign, but is generally considered to be a pharaoh who inaugurated a long peaceful era. She re-established trading relationships lost during a foreign occupation and brought great wealth to Egypt. That wealth enabled Hatshepsut to initiate building projects that raised the calibre of Ancient Egyptian architecture to a standard, comparable to classical architecture that would not be rivalled by any other culture for a thousand years


Size: 5050px × 3354px
Location: Hatshepsut's Temple of Karnak near Luxor in Egypt
Photo credit: © Brenda Kean / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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