The Temple Of Hatshepsut At Deir El Bahri

The Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut is from the Eighteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, located in Deir el-Bahri, and is dated around 1473-1478 BCE. This statue is 8’ 6’’ tall and is completely made of red granite. The statue shows Hatshepsut kneeling on both knees with each hand holding a sphere. However, Hatshepsut is known as a female ruler, but this statue and including other statues, she is represented as a male ruler. Upon closer inspection, her shoulders are broad, she is wearing a linen headdress, and a fake beard which is typical for a male ruler to wear. Also, the inscription, or hieroglyph, use a feminine form to identify her as a female ruler because there’s was no word for king. Adapting to the visual forms of kingship, the Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut can demonstrate the cultural, religious, and political environment of Ancient Egypt.

The "art for art" remained unknown in ancient Egypt; all creation was a practical purpose: the prosperity and triumph of Egypt, providing the survival of rulers and notables. The beautiful had no value in itself; we would say in modern terms, that the supreme intention was magical action. According to our book (art history by Marilyn Stokstad and Michael W. Cothren): “The architecture is religious or funeral destination; only temples and tombs were built of sustainable materials, although we also know some palaces and fortresses. The statuary, too, funeral (the statue is considered the repository of the soul of the deceased) or divine (the royal statues represent the pharaoh, god on earth or in the hereafter). The reliefs are dependent on strict religious patterns; one painting, especially that found in the tombs of the notables of the New Kingdom, manifest a spontaneity and a certain naturalism, but it was only a substitute art to replace cheaply the painted relief. This liveliness is reflected in the minor arts, and fard for spoons or pots ointments; but the jewels themselves usually hold conventions of religious symbolism”. Although, the step pyramid and sham buildings, funerary complex of djoser would perfectly help to illustrate the image of the art of the ancient Egypt. The Djoser funerary complex, built during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser in Saqqara is located in Egypt. It’s the first of this magnitude and the

Indeed, the monument served a particular religious function, according to the tenets of Ancient Egyptian theology and cosmology. The housing

Hatshepsut’s building programs played a major role in her reign as is shown through the praise they still receive from the future generations. Hatshepsut main focus seemed to be her building programs as she constantly refers to them. Once she acquired the role of pharaoh she started repairing buildings that were neglected during the Hyksos occupation such as the temple of Hathor at Cusae, a temple for Min and the temple of Thoth at Hermopolis. Her building programs consisted of completing Thutmose II due to his short reign and constructing new buildings. Her new building programs consisted of her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri; the Red Chapel, obelisks and pylon at Karnak; the barque sanctuary at Luxor and the cliff temple dedicated to the lion goddess, Pakhet at Beni Hassan. Her building programs were important to further enhance her relationship with the Amun- Re cult. Through her buildings she reinforced her relationship with Amun, using it as propaganda to prove that she has the right to claim the throne.

Senenmut, an excellent architect within Ancient Egypt who came from a large educated family, was appointed by Hatshepsut to oversee any royal works, as well as overseeing slaves, fields, and gardens. It is said by some Egyptologists that he initiated a very personal relationship with her—he was even a tutor for Hatshepsut’s daughter. This suggests that Hatshepsut befriended Senenmut for her own advantage, in order for her building plans to be carried out as she pleased. Not only did she effectively choose a skilled architect, but she kept high standards for the location for her memorial tomb. This was at a natural bay near the Theban Mountains, facing the entrance to the Amen-Re Temple at Karnak. This location was especially chosen because it was the existing tomb of her father, and had great importance as it was previously a cult center for Hathor (goddess of ruling kings). A new entrance was created with a staircase leading to a new burial hall carved out of rock. Although her choice called for those extensive alterations of the existing tomb, Hatshepsut wanted to be remembered as a highly regarded leader and appointed Senemut to carry out with those building plans. Hatshepsut’s choice resulted in one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt, known as Djeser Djeseru, meaning holiest of the holy. This specific project displayed Hatshepsut’s creativity

Hatshepsut had many major accomplishments as pharaoh such as constructing paths that helped reach neighboring towns . She also built the temple of Djeser-djeseru also known as the holiest of holy places according to History . Some other things she constructed are many monuments in the ancient site of Karnak . She also helped restore a historical site named “Precinct of Mut “,she installed two obelisk structures of herself in this site .Finally she constructed many dwellings , temples , and monuments. Overall Hatshepsut was a hardworking and wise pharaoh

The Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut displays the progression of art throughout the decades. The Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut shows continuity through its religious influence, its depiction of royalty, and its connection between nature and human life. Hatshepsut was the fifth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt, but was the second confirmed female pharaoh. As pharaoh, Hatshepsut embraced new building ventures, especially in the range around Thebes. Her most prominent accomplishment was the huge commemoration sanctuary at Deir el-Bahri, considered one of the compositional miracles of Ancient Egypt. Another incredible accomplishment of her rule was a trading endeavor she approved that brought back immense riches, including ivory, coal

Among some of Hatshepsut's achievements is Egyption trade.According to history.com, “Hatshepsut extended Egyptian trade and oversaw ambitious building projects, most notably the Temple of Deir el-Bahri, located in western Thebes, where she would be buried.” This temple contains all of the accomplishments that she achieved.Also, the temple it inscribed with the story of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III conflict. It was built in the 15th century.The temples architect was, Senenmut, which was rumored to be Hatshepsut’s lover. Another name of the temple is Djeser-Djeseru, which means holiest of holy places.This temple was built in the same place as a previous temple, Mentuhotep II. Hatshepsut was only able to engage in these

She put to effect many routes for trade through sea and expeditions to rebuild temples and saw that the work was done. Her success was partially seen through the respect that the people had for her father. Hatshepsut greatest achievement was her mortuary temple at the Deir el Bahri. She referred to it as ‘Most Sacred of Sacred Places,’ specifically for its beauty and its color. When Hatshepsut’s husband Thutmose II died, their son, Thutmose III was still of young age.

Hatshepsut’s numerous building programs, including those at Deir el-Bahri, Karnak and Speos Artemedos, serve multiple purposes and have worked to a large extent to prove her right to the throne. Each of these buildings serves a unique purpose, each playing a large extent in contributing to Hatshepsut’s role as a pharaoh. Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri exemplifies her life achievements, and shows her religious, political and economic successes as pharaoh through numerous inscriptions and archaeological features, her Temple of Karnak contributing to her religious and political attributions, and her temple at Speos Artemidos also proves her religious contributions, where this temple was dedicated to Pakhet. Archaeological and written

The Great Pyramids of Egypt are grand tombs where the ancient Egyptians buried their pharaohs after death (History). In the ancient Egyptian’s minds, the

In the late 19th century, the Seated Statue of Ramesses II was uncovered in the Temple of Harsaphes, Heracleopolis, by Sir William Flinders Petrie (Horne 1985, 22). Currently, it rests in the Mummies Gallery in the Egyptian section of the Penn Museum. The king sits heroically with his hands resting on his lap and wears the nemes headdress on his head. Made of quartzite sandstone, the statue sits at an impressive height of 226 cm, with a width of 74 cm and length of 149 cm. On his arms, there are faint traces of red and the nemes headdress has touches of blue and yellow. When it was originally crafted, the statue’s colors would have been more prominent than they currently are; there also would have been a false beard inset that has been lost to history.

The first level of Hatshepsut’s temple tells a story of her many journeys to Punt, however, today in the present they are now all obliterated. The trees in the three terrace courtyards shows that she has acquired trees from Punt in her wall reliefs in the Middle Terrace. The Birth Colonnade shows Hatshepsut’s origins such as her birth from her parents Tuthmosis I and Queen Ahmosis touching each others knees. The god Khnum creates her in his image and her ka on a potter’s wheel with Bes and Heqet nursing her, and Thoth recording documents of her time being a ruler. Chapel of Anubis shows Tuthmosis offering wine to the falcon-headed sun god Sokaris and other offerings to the dog-headed god Anubis. Punt Colonnade shows Hatshepsut’s trip to Punt

The ancient Egyptian people were very religious. Their religion was very important to them; they worshiped their gods, and they glorified them. Their kings or pharaohs were also believed to be gods. The burial of their kings was a very important aspect for Egyptian life, and their belief in afterlife. This belief led to the construction of elaborate funerary architecture. These royal tomb structures were first known as mastabas,

Ancient Egyptian architecture had a number of well known generic building types (pyramids, mortuary temples and so on). Select one building and discuss is background and architectural characteristics, relating it where necessary to other examples.