Boats Sun Pharaonic

1954 at the base of the Great Pyramid in Giza to Egypt was noted by chance,there is two holesMsagovin when Hadpherm Khufu South found at the bottom of Ihaddahmoaly ship Brokenelaborate sculpture of cedar wood and connectedtogether with ropes, does not detract from anypart has been installed, bringinglength of forty meters called the boat the sun, called the ship of Cheops andknown to be Funerary vessels to go to restore the life of the holy places Shipsspirit of the gods

And tells the legend of Ra that children from Crogah (Khepri) a man full pm (Ra) too old for the evening (Atom) live in two boats by the doctrine of the Pharaohs are the boats of Ra which is the disk of the sun and the sun ships at sea, heavenly. Inspired the journey of the sun daily through the sky myths that Re incorporated in the sun, where texts describe sunrise on the eastern shore where the remote greets a band of monkeys as they appear from the water if the animals are waking up to the appearance of gleeful dancing sun

Afterward riding Ra ship day-sail across the sky until the evening Badzlk transmitted from his ship day-to-ship night waiting for him in the underworld before Crogah again and wove legends and stories about the journey of the sun and the sun boats Oosevinp the sun, as in the doctrine of the ancient Egyptians began Kings Pharaohs in call themselves the son of Ra since the era of Khafre era builders of the pyramids and has been the relationship of solar titles of ownership until the end of Egyptian history, Pharaohs and Heliopolis was the headquarters of the god Ra, where he was headed Altasus on behalf of the Atom and chaired the Ra group gods official in the Fifth Dynasty to the back of Amun to be a priority He wrote, followed by Amon-Ra - Ra was Amenhotep IV had changed his name to Akhenaten and Akhetaten built the city and a symbol of his god Aten sun disk and called for unification

TEMPLE OF DEIR EL BAHARI

THE TEMPLE OF DEIR EL BAHARI

The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut is one of the most dramatically situated in the world. The queen's architect, Senenmut, designed it and set it at the head of a valley overshadowed by the Peak of the Thebes, the "Lover of Silence," where lived the goddess who presided over the necropolis. A tree lined avenue of sphinxes led up to the temple, and ramps led from terrace to terrace. The porticoes on the lowest terrace are out of proportion and coloring with the rest of the building. They were restored in 1906 to protect the celebrated reliefs depicting the transport of obelisks by barge to Karnak and the miraculous birth of Queen Hatshepsut. Reliefs on the south side of the middle terrace show the queen's expedition by way of the Red Sea to Punt, the land of incense. Along the front of the upper terrace, a line of large, gently smiling Osirid statues of the queen looked out over the valley. In the shade of the colonnade behind, brightly painted reliefs decorated the walls. Throughout the temple, statues and sphinxes of the queen proliferated. Many of them have been reconstructed, with patience and ingenuity, from the thousands of smashed fragments found by the excavators; some are now in the Cairo Museum, and others the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Temple Kalabsha

temple of Kalabsha

Kalabsha is another Nubian temple which was part of the rescue operation for monuments threatened by the rising waters of Lake Nasser. The temple was transported to the present site courtesy of the German Federal Republic in a salvage operation sponsored by UNESCO in the 1960s. Its original position was 56km south of Aswan until it was dismantled and moved to the island now called New Kalabsha, just south of the Aswan High Dam. It can be seen from the Dam through a good pair of binoculars.

Kalabsha Temple, ancient Talmis, was built over an earlier New Kingdom site during the Roman Period for Caesar Augustus. It was dedicated to Isis, Osiris and Horus-Mandulis, who was the Roman aspect of the Nubian solar god, Merwel. This is perhaps the finest example of a freestanding temple in Nubia and is constructed from sandstone blocks. A granite gateway which was discovered when the temple was relocated was given to the Berlin Agyptisches Museum. The quay leads to a pylon which is built at a slight angle to the rest of the temple. The temple was built in the traditional Egyptian style. An open court, Ptolemaic columns and screen walls lead to the hypostyle hall which is decorated with scenes of rituals depicting Min, Khnum and other gods of Southern Egypt. The sanctuary area consists of three chambers each leading into the one behind, with a pair of columns in each room. The Holy of Holies was in the farthest room, which was later used as a Christian church. Augustus is depicted on the walls offering to Mandulis. There is a passage surrounding the inner temple building similar to other Ptolemaic temples.

Nearby monuments

Kalabsha Temple complex is among the most important of the salvaged monuments on Lake Nasser. It includes the main temple of Kalabsha, Beit el-Wali, Gerf Hussein, and the Kiosk of Qertassi. To encourage visitors to tour the island a path has been paved with slabs of Aswan granite which connects the Kalabsha temple with the other monuments and a visitor’s centre, cafeteria and open-air museum are also being constructed.

The small rock-cut temple originally situated 50km south of Aswan at Beit el-Wali, can now be seen at the north-west of the island of New Kalabsha. It was constructed during the reign of Rameses II and dedicated to Amun and the local gods of Nubia and Aswan, but later known as ‘the house of the holy man’ because it was used as a hermit’s dwelling. There are scenes of victory in battles showing Rameses and his sons against the Nubian tribesmen and scenes of tribute brought to the king depicting animals and ivory. Many beautifully preserved painted reliefs show the King before the gods.

The blocks of Gerf Hussein, one of the monuments transported to New Kalabsha in the 1960s, were never reconstructed and were left neglected and overgrown until they were re-discovered on the island during recent restoration work by Egyptian archaeologists. It was found that the blocks were actually a dismantled rock-cut temple known as Per-Ptah, the ‘House of Ptah’, founded during the reign of Rameses II by Setau, Viceroy of Nubia. The temple of Gerf Hussein, which has now been reconstructed, is approached through a large colonnaded court and is dedicated to the cults of Re-Horakhte and Amun-Re. Inside the rock-temple six pillars support the ceiling of a large hall, each with engaged colossal statues of Rameses II. At the rear an antechamber leads to three small chapels, with the largest central sanctuary depicting Rameses II before the gods.

To the south of the main Kalabsha temple, the Roman kiosk from Qertassi, was originally built 30km south of Aswan. Two Hathor columns grace its entrance and four papyrus columns support the roof lintels with screen walls between. The kiosk is tiny and no other decoration has survived. It was originally known as a symbolic birthplace of the gods.

Another rock-cut temple is known as the Chapel of Dedwen and contains reliefs of an unidentified pharaoh offering to the Nubian god Dedwen. This has been reconstructed by an Egyptian team from the SCA.

The Curse of the Pharaohs: Truth, Myth or Microbiology?

For only the second time since their discovery, some of the treasures of Tutankhamen are visiting United StatesSoil. Wherever they go, the treasures of Tutankhamen inspire wonder. But when they were first discovered in 1922 they also inspired a little bit of fear – fear of a pharaoh’s curse.

The idea of a pharaoh’s curse didn’t originate with King Tut. The tombs of many pharaohs have carried warnings against thieves who would steal – a common and significant problem in Egypt, where ancient Egyptians buried their royalty with treasures in the belief that the wealth could be taken into the afterlife.

But as the discovery of the undisturbed tomb of “the boy king” created mummy mania around the world, a kind of morbid fascination with curses fueled rumors that the archeologists who opened King Tut’s tomb would soon meet with mysterious fates.

Journalists reporting on the find weren’t above embellishing the truth in an effort to tell a good story. Before the tomb was formally opened, reporters were filling their dispatches with accounts that the pharaoh’s seal contained warnings of death coming on swift wings.

But the morbid fascination with the mummy’s curse really took off several months later with the death of Lord Carnarvon, the expedition’s chief financier. Carnarvon had been present at the opening of King Tut’s tomb where, so the popular story goes he received a mosquito bite which he later nicked while shaving. The wound became infected, and Carnarvon died of blood poisoning on April 5, 1923.

Shortly thereafter, Carnarvon’s death became linked to a series of almost supernatural events. Supposedly, at the time of his death, all the lights of Cairo went out. At his estate back in England, Carnarvon’s dog is said to have howled and then died at the exact moment that he did.

As further proof of a curse, it was said that head archeologist Howard Carter’s pet canary was eaten by a cobra on the day the tomb was opened. Journalists noted that a cobra was often portrayed as sitting on the brow of the pharaoh in protection.

The story of the pharaoh’s curse gained steam with the sudden and unexpected death five months later of Lord Carnarvon’s brother. A handful of other people who either visited the tomb or worked around it also sickened and died, including two workmen and financier George Jay Gould I.

As the years have passed, nay-sayers scoff at the idea of a curse, particularly after compiling a list of the alleged victims of the curse. If there were a curse, why didn’t either Carter or Carnarvon’s daughter, Evelyn die as well? Both were present at the opening of the tomb.

But more recently, scientists are starting to believe in the curse --or at least in an explanation for why the series of curse-like coincidences could have happened.

Here’s a recipe for a curse: Take one coffin filled with human remains. Add in enough food and drink to sustain a person in the afterlife. Bury it in a tomb and let it sit for several thousand years. The result? Deadly, toxic mold and bacteria.

The idea of deadly bacteria fueling a pharaoh’s curse isn’t a new one. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (who was also responsible for popularizing the story of the Mary Celeste) speculated that ancient Egyptians may have deliberately put harmful gasses or diseases in the pharaoh’s tombs in retribution for tomb robbers.

Scientists have recently explored newer tombs and found that harmful bacteria and mold is present there. And while the toxic mold and bacteria might not be in levels that would harm most humans, they pose a threat to someone with a compromised immune system – such as someone who may have an infected mosquito bite.

Fortunately, you can see the treasures of King Tut’s tomb (along with several other tombs) without risking a curse, bacterial or otherwise. Two exhibitions are in the United Statesfor limited engagements. Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs will remain in Dallas through May 17 before traveling to San Fransisco, and Tutankamun The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs will also conclude in Atlanta in May and then move to Indianapolis.

Discover of the Pyramid of Djoser

Transversely the Great Court of the Step pyramid of Djoser (as well known as Zoser), the subsequent king of the 3rd family, sets the Step Pyramid of Djoser, positioned at Saqqara on the brink of contemporary day Cairo. It is supposed to have been fashioned by single man, Imhotep. In addition, he has been identified as Doctor, Architect, Sage, Astronomer as well as High Priest. All through a dig that was been carried out in the year 1924-26, a stand of a statuette of Djoser (aka Zoser) was located. This compound represents the foremost most important work made in stone. To be exact, you will come across various other works, which have up till now to be found.

On the step Pyramid of Djoser, the majority of the outer covering is disappeared. In a number of places the interior masonry has vanished additionally. It is apparent that there were diverse stages of building. The eastern surface gives the most excellent picture, however it can be perceived from the southern and northern surface as well.

The inventive structure of step Pyramid of Djoser was a subversive burial chamber. The chamber was exceptional in, which it was actually a square; the majority of the mastabas were in the rectangular shape. The magnificent tomb is around 28m anti establishment with a perpendicular beam leading to it. The doorway was conserved by means of a 3 ton section of granite. The facade of the mastaba was a superior Tura limestone. It materializes that it was planned for this to be the concluding strokes to the structure. It was after that enlarged all in the region, with 10 ft of added limestone as well as after that over again with an expansion on the eastern surface.

The lean-to was 25 ft of limestone to craft the mastaba in the rectangular shape. Once more, it was increased as well as a two-tiered arrangement was made. A sequence of corridors in addition to a burial place chamber was excavated. A number of the chambers are feint by means of blue tiles. A number of scholars consider this burial place was planned for an associate of family of Djoser (aka Zoser), however not for him. The merely additional site, which has alike tiling is sited within the South Tomb that is positioned within the step Pyramid of Djoser complex as well.

Subsequent to the third period was completed; the procedure was to build it an accurate step pyramid was started. In excess of 200,000 tons of the stone was utilized to build the extra two tiers, which went on top of the accessible two-tiered arrangement. One more 2 tiers were further added on top of the accessible 4 to build it into the 6-tiered pyramid that is there in the present day. A face of Tura limestone was as well further added on

Djoser

Djoser, Khet nethr and it means the body of the god, took the title of the sense of the sacred bridge. (2686 BC. M. - 2600 BC. M). And the second is the pharaoh in ancient Egyptian and the third family at the beginning of the old state, his name appeared in the Papyrus Torben red, distinguished him from the rest of the kings of the ancient state.The tomb (pyramid) the first large stone building in history.

Said of Pharaonic Mantho Manetho, that Djoser ruled for 29 years (2640 BC. M --2,611 BC. M), while little Papyrus Torben that the period of his rule extended only 19 years (2630 BC. M --2,611 BC). However, many historians either case, remember wisdom that the period was extended for 29 year because of the magnitude of its construction, which he has made. And therefore the difference between the two figures the years may mean that the Pharaoh Djoser is the same as the first in the third family.

And has a pattern in the islands of Aswan, lists the events of the famine that occurred during his reign due to lack of flooding of the Nile, where Djoser made offerings to the god Khnum, the god waterfall. And he stated the following:

My heart was in distress because of painful, because the Nile did not lead to seven years. Grains were not abundant, dried seeds, everything was owned by the individual to eat the quantities of pathetic, anyone who is deprived harvest. A person can not walk more; the hearts of older people was sad and bent legs when they sat down on the ground, their hands hidden away. Until they were served temples go, the temples were closed and shelters were covered with dust. In short, everything in the presence of injured
And comes the reply from the Khanom by inscription:

I will make the Nile rise to you. There will be no more years when it fails to immersion in the coverage of any area of ​​land. Stork flowers, and stems bend under the weight of pollen


History

Covenant, the family, the years of the
Third Dynasty of the Old Kingdom 2680 BC. M --2,660 BC. M (± 100 years)

Accomplishments

Pyramid of Saqqara
Djoser taken from Memphis, Ain Shams, the capital of
The extraction of copper and turquoise from the Sinai, which secured for him a fortune enabled him to carry out large construction.
Expanded state in the south after the extension of his influence on the Nubians.

Grave
Saqqara pyramid, the Djoser built his tomb on the distance of a mile from the cliff Saqqara to distance himself from the rest of the graves. And supervised the construction and vizier Imhotep. Pyramid consists of six terraces and uneven height of 62 meters and coated stone Jerry White. The inside consists of a network of corridors and corridors, and the king's burial chamber built of granite.

Temple of Amun Siwa Oasis photos

Temple of Amun

Siwa Oasis is located in the western desert of Egypt 300 km (185 miles) southwest of the Mediterranean city of Marsa Matrouh. The word comes from Arabic Wahat Siwa Siwa, which means "protector of the Egyptian sun god Amun-Ra. Siwa is best known as the site of a Greek temple dedicated to the sun oracle Egyptian god Amun. The temple is still visible on the hill Aghurmi, which is 4 kilometers from the town of Siwa.

Flint show that Siwa was already inhabited in the Paleolithic and Neolithic, but the first historical records date from the Middle and New Kingdoms of ancient Egypt (2050-1800 BC and 1570-1090 BC). Nonethless, it is unlikely that the pharaohs and their governors never exercised any real control over Siwa, since there is no sign of buildings from this period.

But Siwa was, in its way, a center of Egyptian culture, a temple built in honor of the ram-headed sun god Amun-Ra, housed a divine oracle whose fame, about 700 BC was widespread in the eastern Mediterranean. Persian king Cambyses, son of Cyrus the Great and conqueror of Egypt, held a grudge against the oracle, probably because he had predicted that his conquests in Africa would soon falter - as elsewhere. In 524 BC Cambyses dispatched from Luxor an army of 50,000 men to destroy the oracle at Siwa - a scattering of forces he could ill afford on its way to capture Ethiopia. The whole army has disappeared without a trace, buried in sand seas between Siwa Oasis and the center-Egyptian, and no sign of it has been found so far.

The most famous visitor to Siwa was undoubtedly Alexander the Great. It has been acclaimed pharaoh of Egypt after defeating the Persian Darius at the Battle of Issus in 333 BC. In 331 he left his newly founded city of Alexandria, reached Mersa Matruh, Siwa and marched along the desert road which is still used today.

Although we do not know for certain, the goal of Alexander in making the journey may have been a piece of image-making policies. Each of the 28th dynasty pharaohs of Egypt had visited Siwa to be recognized in the temple there is the son of Amon-Ra, the supreme god and each thereafter, was depicted as wearing horns of a ram Amon on his head. Alexander wanted the same declaration of divine power to legitimize his conquest of Egypt and get on the same footing as the pharaohs.

With the advent of the Roman era, oracles went out of fashion, and therefore the Egyptian gods, the Greeks were more or less integrated into their own mythology.Reading omens and entrails of animals were more Roman style. When the traveler and historian Strabo visited Egypt in 23 BC, it was found that the oracle of Amon had lost almost all its importance, although undoubtedly the god was still revered locally until the advent of Islam.

The next thousand years in the history of Siwa has been difficult. Economic and social turmoil following the dissolution of Roman power politics. Bedouin tribes have attacked the scattered settlements of the oasis and disrupted what little trade had the Siwan.Around the year 1200 the population was reduced to 40 able-bodied men, perhaps 200 in all. Then, the entire population moved from the ground below, near the temple of the oracle of a nearby hill that could be fortified.

The first European to visit since Roman times was the English traveler William George Browne, who came in 1792 to see the ancient temple of the oracle. By the 19th century other European visitors, was never accepted by the population, describes the entire hill like a beehive most buildings. In 1820, Siwa fell under the domination outside for the first time when it was conquered by the troops of Muhammad Ali, Ottoman pasha of Egypt. With central rule, the defense needs of the city have been reduced and for the first time since 1200 he has been allowed to build houses outside the fortifications of the city - although most people were reluctant to do . A rainstorm in 1926 destroyed many houses, however, and does other dangerous, forcing people to leave. The ancient city is now almost in ruins, although its nature honeycomb is still clearly visible.

Recently, a team of Greek archaeologists working near the oasis of Siwa in the Western Desert of Egypt have discovered three tablets indicating that the body of Alexander could have been taken there for burial after his death in a military campaign. More research on this is underway.

Other sites of local historical interest include the remains of the temple oracle Mawta the Gebel al (Mountain of the Dead), a Roman necropolis with dozens of tombs carved into the rock, and "bath Cleopatra, "an ancient natural spring.

Egyptian Myths

The ancient Egyptian temples were built as cult temples for the worship of pharaohs considered the sons of the god Amun, the principal deity worshiped at Thebes.

The temple of Luxor, built by King AmenhotepIII between 1390-53 BC was the site of a yearly festival bringing together the people with the divine deities and through them, reiterating the divine rule of the current pharaoh. The temple was connected by a sphinx-lined entrance way to the temple of Karnak, and statues of the kings and ancient Egyptian gods were paraded down the Nile river in front of the people. Used as a place of worship continuously up to the present the temple was first a cult temple dedicated to the god of gods, Amun-Ra. During the Roman period it became a Christian church, later turned into a Coptic church. Eventually, a mosque was built over the site which to this day, is an integral part of the complex as a place of worship.

The best preserved of the cult temples is the Temple of Horus at Edfu. Built between 237-57BC, it was dedicated to the original falcon-headed Egyptian god, Horus, who was considered the sky god with eyes that represented the sun and the moon. Ancient Egyptian mythology has it that Horus was the child of the divine couple, Isis and Osiris. Raised by Isis and Hathor after Osiris was murdered by his brother, Seth, Horus avenged his father's death in a great battle at Edfu. Horus took the throne, with Osiris reigning through him from the underworld. Thus, all pharaohs claimed to be the incarnation of the "living king", Horus. The annual Festival of Coronation at Edfu re-enacted the divine birth of Horus and empowered the reigning pharaoh.

The temple of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses II in 1257BC in what was known as Nubia, was dedicated to the Sun god Re. This rock cut temple is the greatest massive façade of the seven temples built by Ramses II and is dominated by four colossal seated statues of the pharaoh and smaller statues of his family.

Among later cult temples built on the east banks of the Nile are those of Kom Ombo and the temple of Philae. These temples, built during the Ptolomaec and Roman periods still followed the more ancient practice by which temples of worship were erected on the east banks of the Nile, associated with life, while the west bank, linked to death, were the places of tombs and funerary rituals.

The unusual double temple of Kom Ombo was dedicated to Horus, the falcon god and Sobek, the crocodile god. A favored spot of crocodiles basking in the sun, Sobek protected locals from the threat of crocodiles. The best preserved Greco-Roman temple of Philae was dedicated to the goddess Isis, the "mother of god" - the giver of life, healer and protector of kings- who was a cardinal figure associated as well with funeral rites in the ancient world.

The Nile river has been pivotal to life and death in Egypt. On its eastern banks, its Egyptian temples were built to honor and worship the gods and living pharaohs. Egypt's tombs and funerary rituals were set on the river's west banks, marking death. Defined by east and west, Egypt's ancient temples tell the tales of its history, culture, mythology and rites of worship.

Temple of Abu Simbel videos

Temple of Abu Simbel photos

Temple of Abu Simbel

The Abu Simbel Temple Egypt is one of the most visited tourist sites on the planet, and one of the most iconic images of ancient Egypt. It is as recognisable as the pyramids of Cairo or the death mask of TutanKhamun.

Lots of vacationers to Egypt would not deem their holiday complete without a trip to this famous temple. This is particularly the situation for those on a Nile sail. Of course the cruise boats disembark at Aswan and the trip to the shrine is somewhat a way south plus it has to be accomplished by means of coach or plane. By coach the journey takes about four hours and has to be done in a large convoy with police presence because of the threat of bandits and political dissidents so near the border with Sudan.

Abu Simbel Temple Egypt is really two temples and both temples had to be moved in the 1960's whilst the Aswan Dam was being constructed. Providentially quite a few Nations found the finances required to reposition the temple to a more elevated position otherwise it would have vanished beneath the waters of Nasser lake to be lost forever.

It was constructed by the Pharaoh Rameses the great and took approximately thirty years to finalize. It is an immense edifice that is carved out of the unyielding rock, and the facade of the major temple consists of four gigantic statues of Rameses the second, which are sixty-seven feet high from top to bottom. Long ago an earthquake damaged one of the statues from the waist up but this does not detract from the magnificence.

You will notice that there are minor statues sandwiched between the legs of the Pharaoh and they are understood to be his Queen, Nefetari, his mother in addition to his son. |In attendance are 2 additional feminine figures that are probably princesses plus one more who may possibly have been a less important royal companion.

In the interior there are 8 additional statues of the Ruler shown as the god Osiris and the walls are ornamented} by way of scenes of the king in battle for the reason that Rameses was for the most part celebrated for his triumphs in battle in addition to his numerous} victory's.

As was customary with the fashion of Egyptian temples the way to the inner holy place is very much engraved and develops all the way through the various halls that become increasingly extra holy until the inner sanctuary is reached. This sanctuary here is distinctive in that there is a little altar as well as 4 more figures. These statues are of Rameses, his queen and his son with the fourth on the left as you are facing them being the god of the underworld.

The subsequent temple was created for the most cherished wife of Rameses the beautiful and well-known Nefetari.

The busiest times at the temples are on the 21st of February and October at sunrise. On these days thousands flock to witness an amazing event as do Television crews and reporters.

When the Pharaoh had the temple constructed he commanded that two times a year, in February along with October the rising sun must shine all the way through the wide open entrance of the temple and shine on three of the four statues inside the sanctuary. The figure on the left, the god of the underworld was not to be illuminated, just the figures of the king, his wife and his son. This is an amazing feat of engineering and a wonder to behold even though you are caught up in a crush. Rameses commanded this feat because his birthday was in February. Modern engineers when moving the dam tried to achieve the same effect on Rameses birthday. But despite all the computer help and top present day mathematical advice they where one day out.

Those Egyptians sure were clever! It is incredible that all those 1000's of years ago it was feasible to put together with such precision such a magnificent temple.

Karnak Temple

Temple of Karnak photos

Temple of Karnak

Egypt's ancient history is brought to life through its many temples and funerary customs. Many of these temples dot the area around Luxor, ancient Thebes. This great capital of Egypt was defined by the river Nile. Since the east bank of the Nile was associated with the rising sun, hence life, most of the temples built to honor ancient Egyptian gods were built on the Nile's east bank; to the west of the Nile, where the sun set and darkness reigned, hence death, the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the queens house the tombs of pharaohs and their families from dynasties past, the most notable of these being King Tutankhamen and Queen Nefarti.

Karnak, the most spectacular temple and a sheer pinnacle of religious architecture was the center of ancient Egypt's religious practices. The mother of Egyptian temples and the greatest ever built; it was a place of pilgrimage and worship for nearly 4000 years. Enlarged and built upon by one pharaoh after another for over 1300 years, the complex covers nearly 200 acres. The temple of Amun alone is over 61 acres - the size of ten average European cathedrals.

Karnak was the home of the god of gods, Amun Ra, who was insignificant until the 12th dynasty when Thebes became the great capital of ancient Egypt. In ancient times, wars were not fought between countries; rather contests between the gods determined the fates of the lands where one god subdued another and one deity replaced another, the victorious god and its people growing in power and strength. This is how Amun, with the help of other New Kingdom gods became the supreme god and Karnak, built in his honor, and became the largest temple built.

Karnak's vast awe-inspiring complex includes 3 main temples and other smaller chapels and pylons. At its center sits the temple of Amun. Known as Ipset-Isut (the most select of places) by ancient Egyptians, Karnak was dedicated to the triad deity of Amun, his wife Mut and his son Khonso.

Probably the most impressive temple complex in the world, the Temple of Karnak -its gargantuan size, its architecture, and its thought-provoking construction - epitomizes the greatness of ancient Egypt. An icon of religious worship and ancient Egyptian mythology, it reveals the mysteries of a civilization that still penetrate our modern world

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut also known as Deir El-Bahri is located on the West Bank of Luxor framed by steep cliffs and cut into the side of the mountain. This magnificent Temple was the inspiration of the Queen who would be King - Hatshepsut, daughter of Thutmose I. To know the history of the Temple one needs to know something of the Queen who built it.

Queen Hatshepsut was prevented by her sex from succeeding to the throne after her father Thutmose 1st. although as daughter to the Great Royal wife of Ahmose her lineage made her the only lawful heir as all his sons were from minor wives. She married her half-brother Thutmose II and retained the regency during his reign and co-regency during the subsequent reign of Thutmose III retaining power in her capable hands.

There is no doubt that Queen Hatshepsut was not about to let the fact she was a woman stand in her way of becoming King. She was iron-willed and wore a royal shirt and ceremonial beard, the badges of Kingship. She assumed the throne name-Makere and proved her right to the throne through numerous reliefs of her divine birth.

Once Hatshepsut had secured the throne she embarked on building Temples and Monuments and restoring damaged sanctuaries. As she could not record her name in history through military conquests she sought to record herself in history through architectural achievements.

She erected obelisks in the Karnak Temple is such a way that the glittering tips would shine over the Two Lands just as it appeared in the horizon of heaven. She planned Del El-Bahri to be no less spectacular. She worked with her architect Senmut, drawing ideas from the adjacent 11th Dynasty Temple of the Pharaohs Mentuhotep II and III, but on a larger scale. Using the idea of a terrace and adding an extra tier, he designed a terraced sanctuary including courts, one above the other with connecting sloping ramps at the center. It included shrines dedicated to Hathor and Anubis and chambers devoted to the Queen and her parents.

For Senmut it was a labor of love. He started his service with Hatshepsut as a tutor to her daughter Neferure. He was ambitious and had strong abilities that moved him high on the ladder of success. He was Queen Hatshepsut's strong supporter, lover and no doubt her political adviser and conducted himself as a member of the royal family having no fewer than 40 titles enjoying privileges and perks never before given to a man of humble birth. He was allowed to construct his tomb near the Temple of Hatshepsut something never allowed for any official before or after.

Queen Hatshepsut's body has never been found although she had two tombs. The first tomb was in the Valley of the Kings where all members of the 18th Dynasty were laid to rest. After she became Pharoah she built a second tomb in the Taker Zeid Valley overlooking the Valley of the Kings. The first tomb was designed so that the corridors, burrowed 213 meters beneath the barrier hill would lead to the tomb chamber itself directly beneath the mortuary temple. It appeared that she wanted to be buried in the Valley of the Kings but wished to conform to the ancient practice of linking the tomb with the mortuary temple. The passage was very basic and bad rock among other things prevented the passage from being completed and was abandoned.

Hatshepsut's sarcophagus was enlarged to receive the body or her father Thutmose I, until the priests of the 20th Dynasty moved his mummy to the shaft of Deir el Bahri for safe keeping. His own tomb had already been used by Thutmose II, who died prematurely after a short co-regency with Queen Hatshepsut. When Thutmose III asserted himself as Pharoah he expelled Queen Hatshepsut from the throne. In his anger he waged a campaign of destruction obliterating her name, statues and any reference to her from every temple in the land, including Deir el Bahri.

Later King Akenaten further mutilated the inscriptions at Deir el Bahri.They were further mutilated when Ramses II endeavoured to restore them with shoddy workmanship. Later the Christian monks setup a convent there adding further to the overall desecration, leaving the temple much as it is today.

queen Hatshepsut

Thutmose II married Queen Hatshepsut who was his half-sister. As the new Queen she started to build her royal tomb in a remote area called Wadi Sikkat Taka El-Zeida on the west bank of Thebes (Luxor). She had a quartzite sarcophagus inscribed with a prayer to the Goddess Nut. This tomb was later abandoned before the burial shaft could be completed.

Queen Hatshepsut had one daughter Neferure, but no sons. Thutmose II reigned for 13 years and when he died a son born to Lady Isis from his royal harem was crowned King. As he was an infant and his mother was not considered royalty, Queen Hatshepsut was asked to rule on behalf of her stepson. Queen Hatshepsut allowed the young King to preside in all activities. By the 7th year of his reign Queen Hatshepsut acted as and was crowned King, and her new titles were engraved on her monuments.

Thutmose III was not forgotten, he was acknowledged as a co-ruler and the regal years we counted from his accession to the throne. There was not doubt that Queen Hatshepsut was the dominant King of Egypt, however towards the end of her life Thutmose III acquired equal status.

Queen Hatshepsut against tradition commissioned a pair of obelisks to stand in front of the gate to Karnak Temple. Difficult to cut, transport, and erect Obelisks are tall, slim, tapered shafts of hard stone with pyramid-shaped tops, coated with gold foil. They shone in the sunlight and were meant to represent the first rays of light shining on the world as it was created.

Queen Hatshepsut's journey to King can be seen in a series of images. A stela in the Berlin Museum shows the royal family shortly before Thutmose II's death. The Red Chapel at Karnak shows Queen Hatshepsut and Thutmose III standing together. Both appear identical with male bodies, wearing the kilt and blue crown, both carrying a staff and an ankh. Their cartouches show Thutmose standing behind the Queen in the more junior position.

There is no explanation why Queen Hatshepsut took on the role of King we can only assume that a crisis occurred requiring an adult King and there appears to have been no opposition to her taking on the role. She does offer some justification and claims to be entitled to the throne because she was the intended heir of the revered Thutmose I and also the daughter of the God Amun. According to a series of images in her Mortuary Temple, the God Amun fell in love with her mother and chose her to bear his daughter Queen Hatshepsut. In an oracle revealed to Queen Hatshepsut Amun apparently proclaimed his daughter King of Egypt.

As Queen Hatshepsut she was portrayed as a regular woman, slender, pale and passive. As a King she needed to find an image that would reinforce her new position while distancing herself from her role as a Queen. She evolved into an entirely masculine King, with a man's body, male clothing, male accessories and male ritual actions. It appears that the appearance of a King mattered more than her gender.

Queen Hatshepsut was careful to behave as a conventional King of Egypt right from her coronation. A Queen was then needed to fill the feminine role of the monarchy and she turned to her daughter Neferure to act as Queen. Egypt's royal children normally remained hidden in their nurseries throughout their infancy and Neferure was no exception, but after her mother's coronation Neferure began to play the role of Queen. Scenes on the walls of the Red Chapel at Karnak show Neferure as an adult woman. She disappears towards the end of her mother's reign. The assumption is that she died and was buried in a tomb near that built for her mother.

Gradually Queen Hatshepsut picked advisors, many were men of humble birth like Senenmut. She realized these self-made men had an interest in keeping her on the throne because if she fell, they fell with her. Senenmut, tutor to Princess Neferure rose quickly through the ranks sparking speculation over the nature of their relationship. Were they lovers? They certainly never married. The fact that he carved his image into the Queen's mortuary temple and that his tomb encroached upon the area of her tomb infers a close bond between them, as he would not dare to do this without her permission.

As the King she launched an assault on chaos. Foreigners were subdued, the monuments of the ancestors were restored, and the whole of Egypt took on temple building projects. She then turned to trade missions to the Lebanon for wood, increased work in the copper and turquoise mines in Sinai and a successful trading mission to Punt. The land of Punt, the location of which is now lost, had many exotic treasures, precious resins, unusual animals, ebony, ivory and gold. Reliefs in the Queen's mortuary temple suggest Punt might be along the Eritrean/Ethiopian coast.

The most magnificent building she commissioned was a mortuary temple to herself, situated close to the tomb of Mentuhotep II in the Deir el-Bahari bay. This was a multi-functional temple with a series of shrines and chapels devoted to various gods. The main sanctuary was dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut's divine father the God Amun. Her tomb was to be in the Valley of the Kings, the traditional cemetery of Egypt's Kings. She enlarged her fathers tomb (KV 20) until it became the longest and deepest tomb in the Valley. Her old tomb originally started in the Wadi Sikkat Taka el-Zeida was abandoned.

A stela shows us that Queen Hatshepsut died in the 22nd year of her reign on the 10th day of the 6th month. Thutmose III was then free to embark on 33 years of a highly successful solo rule. Queen Hatshepsut's sarcophagus along with a canopic chest, and a few fragments of her furniture were found, but her body had vanished. There are several unidentified female mummies from the New Kingdom who may or may not be Queen Hatshepsut.

Towards the end of Thutmose III's reign an attempt was made to delete Queen Hatshepsut from the historical record. Her cartouches and images were chiselled away and she was removed from the official history that now showed no co-regency from Thutmose II to Thutmose III. At the Deir El-Bahari Temple her statues were torn down and smashed or disfigured and buried in a pit. At Karnak an attempt was made to wall up her obelisks.

By erasing her name Queen Hatshepsut disappeared from Egypt's records. However, by the late 19th century she had been restored to her rightful place as a female King.

Avril Betts CHA - I am an owner of A-Z Tours and Action Travel with my partner Khaled Azzam. We are travel and tour specialists. I have been in the travel business for over 30 years and specialize in custom tours to any destination and Khaled is an Egyptologist specializing in Egypt tours.