Queen Hatshepsut
Queen Hatshepsut was a powerful pharaoh. She was the fifth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. Her name meant “Foremost of Noble Women.” She was one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful rulers. Hatshepsut was born in 1508 BC. She was King Thutmose I’s eldest daughter. Her grandfather was King Ahmose. Ancient Egyptians opposed women as rulers. However, she governed with her father. He taught her a great deal. She became one of Egypt’s most effective rulers.
How She Obtained Egypt’s Throne
In 1492 BC, Queen Hatshepsut married her half-brother, Thutmose II. He was the son of Thutmose I and a lesser wife, Mutnofret. Thutmose II had poor health and a weak character. She ruled Egypt as his wife. Hatshepsut and Thutmose II had one daughter, Neferu-Ra. Hatshepsut earned the title God’s Wife of Amun. This was the second-highest status for a woman in ancient Egypt.
After Thutmose II died, the Egyptians did not want a woman to rule as queen. They appointed Thutmose III as king. He was only two years old. Hatshepsut ruled as regent for her stepson. Thutmose III was the son of Thutmose II and his minor wife, Isis. Hatshepsut had powerful allies. Her chief minister, Senenmut, helped her become the true pharaoh. She gained all the powers of a king and ordered artists to depict her with a beard and muscles. She also kept traditional feminine symbols.
Queen Hatshepsut’s Rule
Queen Hatshepsut’s reign was prosperous and peaceful, as she established friendships with neighboring countries through trade. She dispatched many seaborne trading expeditions to the kingdom of Punt and the Atlantic Ocean, returning with gold, baboons, myrrh, ebony, wild animals, and other treasures.
She also launched many military operations in Syria and Nubia. While she oversaw the affairs of the kingdom, she made her stepson Thutmose III a commander in numerous wars, safeguarding the country and expanding the Egyptian empire. She married him to her daughter Neferu-Ra, who was granted the title of God’s Wife of Amun.
Queen Hatshepsut’s Works
Like all the great Egyptian Pharaohs, Queen Hatshepsut tried to immortalize her legacy by erecting a variety of spectacular structures. She commissioned the construction of a temple at Deir El-Bahri, which is regarded as one of the world’s most magnificent temples and was planned by her chief minister Senenmut. Hatshepsut’s temple is a stunning example of ancient Egyptian classical architecture, with really magnificent sculptures and artwork.
The temple is dedicated to the gods, particularly the creator deity Amun. She ordered the construction of the majority of the obelisks at El-Karnak Temple, as well as remodeling her father’s hypostyle hall and adding two obelisks. The magnificent incomplete obelisk was commissioned by the building and revealed a lot about the construction practices of the time.
Death of Queen Hatshepsut
She died around 1458 BC in her mid-40s. An abscess from a tooth extraction caused her death. Queen Hatshepsut also had diabetes and bone cancer. She enlarged her father’s tomb and wanted them to be buried together in the Valley of the Kings. Would you like to visit Egypt? You can see ancient sites in both lower and upper Egypt. Learn more about the ancient Egyptian civilization. Check out our best Egypt tour packages and Nile river cruises. Plan your unforgettable trip with us.
