10 facts about the most successful female pharaoh in Egypt - the goddess Hatshepsut

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Hatshepsut ruled Egypt for over 20 years. She reigned with her husband Thutmose II, but after his death took on the role of Pharaoh, eventually becoming the most powerful woman - Pharaoh. Hatshepsut is considered one of the most successful rulers of Egypt.

1. Who is she?

The daughter of King Thutmose I, Hatshepsut became Queen of Egypt when she married her half-brother, Thutmose II, at about 12 years old. After his death, she began to act as regent for her stepson, the infant Thutmose III, but later assumed full authority of the pharaoh. As ruler of Egypt, Hatshepsut expanded Egyptian trade and pursued ambitious construction projects.

2. She became the queen of Egypt by coincidence

Initially, Hatshepsut carried this role traditionally as the regent of the little stepson, but later, for reasons unknown to art critics, she assumed the full role of the pharaoh. Technically, Hatshepsut did not "usurp" the crown, as Thutmose III was never overthrown and was considered a co-ruler throughout his life, but it is clear that Hatshepsut became the main dominant ruler of power.

3. Successful diplomat

Hatshepsut's successful transition from queen to pharaoh is due in part to her ability to attract influential supporters, and many of those she chose were privileged officials of her father Thutmose I. One of her most important advisers was Senenmut - the queen's obedient servant and devoted friend to her surroundings. Hatshepsut found the support of influential nobles at court.

4. Built the "most sacred" temple

The vast burial temple of Hatshepsut was considered one of the most impressive architectural achievements in the ancient world. Called the Jeser-Jeseru ("Sacred of the Sacred"), the terraced sandstone complex was built in the cliffs of Deir el-Bahri in western Thebes. She built it next to the temple of the Mentuhotep kings, a complex of funeral temples and tombs on the west coast of the Nile, wanting to emphasize her belonging to their family and thereby justify the legitimacy of her so unusual for a woman possession of the throne. Temple of Hatshepsut stood out from a number of many funeral temples of that time, first of all, with a luxurious decorative relief, size and decorated with large-scale statues.

5. Implemented the most important trade expedition

Instead of sending her subjects to war, Hatshepsut organized expeditions for them: a trade expedition to the legendary country of Punt (possibly modern Eritrea), where no Egyptian had been for 500 years. It was a success: the expedition returned with gold, ivory, live myrrh and a menagerie of exotic animals including monkeys, panthers and giraffes. A brilliant campaign has greatly increased its reputation and popularity.

6. Pretended to be a man and changed her name

Hatshepsut wished to be portrayed in statues and paintings of that time as a male pharaoh with a beard and large muscles. Taking the title of Pharaoh, Hatshepsut changed her name from the female version of Hatshepsut, which means "The best of noble ladies," to the male version, Hatshepsu.

7. The first, but not the only female pharaoh

Hatshepsut was the first, but not the only female ruler of Ancient Egypt. Nefertiti followed her, and then Cleopatra came to power after 1500 years, but none of them took the title of pharaoh, like Hatshepsut.

8. The period of her reign - the heyday of Egypt

Hatshepsut did not banish Thutmose III, who technically served as her co-ruler, but she clearly overshadowed him. Her 21-year reign - 15 years as the main monarch - was a time of peace and prosperity for Egypt. She undertook grandiose building projects, including two pairs of imposing obelisks at Karnak and at her Jeser Jeseru temple. Scientists have proved that the queen also led military campaigns, including the campaign against Nubia, and also conquered the Sinai Peninsula, South Syria and Palestine. A fleet was even built, making expeditions to different countries, including the mysterious country of Punt.

9. After her death, the stepson erased her memory

Hatshepsut died at the age of forty. Her stepson Thutmose III continued to rule for another 30 years, proving to be as ambitious a builder as his stepmother and a great warrior. At the end of her reign, Thutmose III destroyed almost all evidence of Hatshepsut's reign - including her images on the temples and monuments she built. Why did he do it? Perhaps to erase her example as a powerful female ruler, or to close the gap in the line of the male dynasty. Fortunately for archaeologists, the reconstruction was incomplete and much of the original temple remains visible today.

10. The secret of the mummy Hatshepsut

The queen owned two whole tombs, but none of them found her mummy, because for a long time it was believed that she was destroyed during the looting of the chamber. But in 2006, the mummy was found in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This mummy was found in a small tomb in the Valley of the Kings and transported to Cairo in 1906, believed to be the mummy of Sat-Ra, the queen's nurse.