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Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Luxor

The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, also known as the Djeser-Djeseru (Ancient Egyptian: "Holy of Holies"), is a mortuary temple of Ancient Egypt located in Upper Egypt.

Built for the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh Hatshepsut, who died in 1458 BC, the temple is located beneath the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari on the west bank of the Nile near the Valley of the Kings.

This mortuary temple is dedicated to Amun and Hatshepsut and is situated next to the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II, which served both as an inspiration and later, a quarry. It is considered one of the "incomparable monuments of ancient Egypt."

The Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw is responsible for the study and restoration of the three levels of the temple. As of early 1995, the first two levels were almost complete, and the top level was still under reconstruction.

Scale model of the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
In the photo we can see the scale models of the Mortuary Temple of Thutmoses III (left), the Mortuary Temple of Mentuhotep II (center) and the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut (right).


Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut Plan
Plan Legend:

  1. Entrance Gate
  2. Lower Terrace
  3. Lower Porticoes
  4. Ramps
  5. Middle Terrace
  6. Middle Porticoes
  7. North Portico
  8. Hathor Shrine
  9. Anubis Shrine
  10. Upper Terrace
  11. Festival Courtyard
  12. Amun Shrine
  13. Solar Cult Court
  14. Mortuary Cult Complex.
  • Photograph by Mr rnddude, slightly modified, distributed under a CC-BY 4.0 license.

Approaching the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari
The three massive terraces of the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut rise above the desert floor and into the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari.

  • Deir el-Bahari (lit. 'the Monastery of the North') is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor, Egypt. This is a part of the Theban Necropolis.
  • The first monument built at the site was the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II of the Eleventh Dynasty. It was constructed during the 21st century BC.
  • During the Eighteenth Dynasty, Amenhotep I and Hatshepsut also built extensively at the site.
  • See more at Deir el-Bahari - Wikipedia.

Traveling to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
From the entrance to the monument, we traveled in small buses.


Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
The valley temple is followed by a 1 km (0.62 mi) long, 37 m (121 ft) wide causeway, which also hosted a barque station at its midpoint, that led to the entrance gate of the mortuary temple.

  • The three massive terraces rise above the desert floor and lead into the Djeser-Djeseru or "Holy of Holies".
  • Nearly the entire temple is built of limestone, with some red granite and sandstone.
  • On its main axis and at the end of temple, lay the temple's main cult site, a shrine to Amun-Re, which received his barque each year during the Beautiful Festival of the Valley in May.
  • In the south (left) were the offering halls of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut and to the north (right) was the solar cult court.
  • Outside, two further shrines were built for Hathor (far left) and Anubis (far right), respectively. In total, the temple comprised five cult sites.

Ramp (Plan No. 4) from the Lower Terrace to the Middle Terrace
Each elevated terrace is accessed by a ramp which bifurcated the porticoes.

  • The Lower Terrace (Plan No. 2) measures 120 m (390 ft) deep by 75 m (246 ft) wide and was enclosed by a wall with a single 2 m (6.6 ft) wide entrance gate (Plan No. 1) at the centre of its east side.

North Lower Portico (Plan No. 3)
The 25 m (82 ft) wide porticoes of the lower terrace contain 22 columns each, arranged in two rows, and feature relief scenes on their walls.

  • The north portico's reliefs depict Hatshepsut as a sphinx crushing her enemies, along with images of fishing and hunting, and offerings to the gods.
  • The outer end of the portico hosted 7.8 m (26 ft) tall Osiride statues.

South Lower Portico (Plan No. 3)
The 25 m (82 ft) wide portico of the lower terrace contain 22 columns each, arranged in two rows, and feature relief scenes on their walls.

  • The south portico's reliefs depict the transportation of two obelisks from Elephantine to the Temple of Karnak in Thebes, where Hatshepsut is presenting the obelisks and the temple to the god Amun-Re.
  • They also depict Dedwen, Lord of Nubia and the 'Foundation Ritual'.
  • The outer end of the portico hosted 7.8 m (26 ft) tall Osiride statues.

Middle Terrace (Plan No. 5)
The middle terrace measures 75 m (246 ft) deep by 90 m (300 ft) wide fronted by porticoes on the south and partially on the north sides.


North Portico of the Middle Terrace (Plan No. 6)
The north portico reliefs narrate the divine birth of Hatshepsut to Thutmose I, represented as Amun-Re, and Ahmose. Thus legitimizing her rule both by royal lineage and godly progeny. This is the oldest known scene of its type.

  • Construction of the north portico and its four or five chapels was abandoned prior to completion and consequently it was left blank.
  • In the north corner of this terrace is the Anubis shrine (Plan No. 9).

South Portico of the Middle Terrace (Plan No. 6)
The south portico contain 22 columns arranged in two rows while the north portico contains 15 columns in a single row.

  • The reliefs of the south portico of this terrace are the most notable from the mortuary temple.
  • The south portico depicts the expedition to the Land of Punt and the transportation of exotic goods to Thebes.
  • In the south corner of this terrace is the Hathor shrine (Plan No. 8).

Entrance to the Anubis shrine (Plan No. 9)
At the north end of the middle terrace is a shrine dedicated to the god Anubis.

  • This shrine is smaller than its counterpart to Hathor in the south.

Hypostyle hall of the Anubis shrine
It comprises a hypostyle hall adorned with 12 columns arranged into three rows of four, followed by a sequence of two rooms terminating at a small niche.


Anubis shrine images
Images presented on the walls are of offerings and cult activity, with a relief showing Anubis escorting Hatshepsut to the shrine.

  • The name of Anubis was used to designate the heir to the throne, which the Egyptologist Ann Macy Roth associates to the reliefs depicting Hatshepsut's divine birth.

Entering the South Portico of the Middle Terrace (Plan No. 6)
The south portico contain 22 columns arranged in two rows while the north portico contains 15 columns in a single row.


South portico reliefs
The reliefs of the south portico of this terrace are the most notable from the mortuary temple.

  • The south portico depicts the expedition to the Land of Punt and the transportation of exotic goods to Thebes.

Entering Hathor shrine (Plan No. 8)
At the south end of the middle terrace is a shrine dedicated to the goddess Hathor.

  • The shrine is separated from the temple and is accessed by a ramp from the lower terrace, although an alternative entrance existed at the upper terrace.
  • The ramp opens to a portico adorned with four columns carrying Hathor capitals.

Hathor shrine interior
The walls of the entrance contain scenes of Hathor being fed by Hatshepsut.

  • Beyond this are a vestibule containing two columns and a double sanctuary.
  • Reliefs on the walls of the shrine depict Hathor with Hatshepsut, the goddess Weret-hekhau presenting the pharaoh with a Menat necklace, and Senenmut.
  • Hathor holds special significance in Thebes, representing the hills of Deir el-Bahari, and also to Hatshepsut who presented herself as a reincarnation of the goddess.
  • Hathor is also associated with Punt, which is the subject of reliefs in the proximate portico.

Climbing the Ramp (Plan No. 4) from the Middle Terrace to the Upper Terrace.

Portico of the Upper Terrace (Plan No. 10)
The upper terrace opens to 26 columns each fronted by a 5.2 m (17 ft) tall Osiride statue of Hatshepsut.

  • They are split in the centre by a granite gate through which the festival courtyard was entered.
  • This division is represented geographically, too, as the southern colossi carry the Hedjet of Upper Egypt, while the northern colossi bear the Pschent of Lower Egypt.
  • The portico here completes the narrative of the preceding porticoes with the coronation of Hatshepsut as king of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Upper Terrace Courtyard (Plan No. 11)
The courtyard is surrounded by pillars, two rows deep on the north, east and south sides, and three rows deep on the west side.

  • Eight smaller and ten larger niches were cut into the west wall, these are presumed to have contained kneeling and standing statues of Pharaoh Hatshepsut.
  • The remaining walls are carved with reliefs: the Beautiful Festival of the Valley on the north, the Festival of Opet on the east, and the coronation rituals on the south.
  • Three cult sites branch off from the courtyard. The sanctuary of Amun (Plan No. 12) lies west on the main axis, to the north is the solar cult court (Plan No. 13), and to the south is a chapel dedicated to the mortuary cults of Hatshepsut and Thutmose I (Plan No. 14).

Entering Amun shrine (Plan No. 12)
Situated at the back of the temple, on its main axis, is the climactic point of the temple, the sanctuary of Amun, to whom Hatshepsut had dedicated the temple as 'a garden for my father Amun'.


Barque hall of the shrine to Amun
Inside, the first chamber was a chapel which hosted the barque of Amun and a skylight that allowed light to flood onto the statue of Amun.

  • The lintel of the red granite entrance depicts two Amuns seated upon a throne with backs together and kings kneeling in submission before them, a symbol of his supreme status in the sanctuary.
  • Inside the hall are scenes of offerings presented by Hatshepsut and Thutmose I, accompanied by Ahmose and Princesses Neferure and Nefrubity, four Osiride statues of Hatshepsut in the corners, and six statues of Amun occupying the niches of the hall.
  • In the tympanum, cartouches containing Hatshepsut's name are flanked and apotropaically guarded by those of Amun-Re.
  • This chamber was the end point of the annual Beautiful Festival of the Valley.

Chamber for the cult image of Amun
The second chamber contained a cult image of Amun, and was flanked either side by a chapel.

  • The north chapel was carved with reliefs depicting the gods of the Heliopolitan Ennead and the south chapel with the corresponding Theban Ennead. The enthroned gods each carried a was-sceptre and an ankh. Presiding over the delegations, Atum and Montu occupied the end walls.
  • The third chamber contained a statue around which the 'Daily Ritual' was also performed. It was originally believed to have been constructed a millennium after the original temple, under Ptolemy VIII Euergetes, giving it the name 'the Ptolemaic Sanctuary'.

Entrance to the Solar cult court (Plan No. 13)
The solar cult is accessed from the Courtyard (Plan No. 11) through a vestibule occupied by three columns in the north side of the upper terrace courtyard.

  • The doorjamb of the entrance is embellished with the figures of Hatshepsut, Ra-Horakhty (Horus) and Amun.
  • The reliefs in the vestibule contain images of Thutmose I and Thutmose III.

Solar cult court interior
The vestibule opens to the main court which hosts a grand altar open to the sky and accessed from a staircase in the court's west.

  • There are two niches present in the court in the south and west wall, the former shows Ra-Horakhty presenting an ankh to Hatshepsut and the latter contains a relief of Hatshepsut as a priest of her own cult.
  • Attached to the court was a chapel which contained representations of Hatshepsut's family. In these, Thutmose I and his mother, Seniseneb, are depicted giving offerings to Anubis, while Hatshepsut and Ahmose are depicted giving offerings to Amun-Re.

Leaving the Upper Terrace Courtyard (Plan No. 11)

View to the east from the Upper Terrace
We can see successively the Middle Terrace, the Lower Terrace, the long Causeway up to the Nile River, and after the river the Karnak Temple.

  • Across the river Nile, the whole structure points towards the monumental Eighth Pylon, Hatshepsut's most recognizable addition to the Temple of Karnak and the site from which the procession of the Beautiful Festival of the Valley departed.
  • The temple's twin functions are identified by its axes: its main east-west axis served to receive the barque of Amun-Re at the climax of the festival, while its north-south axis represented the life cycle of the pharaoh from coronation to rebirth.

Leaving the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

See also

Source

Location

Location: Luxor, Al Qarna, Luxor Governorate 1340420, Egypt