The Temple of Hatshepsut - Luxor
The temple of Maat-Ka-Ra Hatshepsut at the foot of the Theban hills is among the most effectively designed structures of all of Egypt - rows of colonnades climb steplike up the base of a towering cliff. The temple was restored in the 1950s.
Hatshepsut was one of the rare female Pharaohs. She ruled for about 20 years. Her temple is remarkable for its size and dramatic location and for its fine relief carvings on the walls, many of which retain their original colors. Among them are the reliefs describing a trading expeditition to Punt (maybe modern Somalia ) and her coronation. Hatshepsut called her temple Djeser Djeseru , "Splendour of Splendours". Today it is called "Deir el-Bahri".
Hatshepsut, daughter of Thutmosis I, wife of Thutmosis II and step-mother and co-regent of Thutmosis III., was Pharaoh during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom (1473-1458 BC). Hatshepsut is next to Cleopatra the best known female ruler of Egypt.
published 31 December, 2007
Source: Angela