Ancient Egypt
Who Was Hatshepsut, Egypt's Female Pharaoh?
One of the most successful rulers of ancient Egypt was a woman who took the throne as pharaoh in her own right — and whose monuments still dominate Luxor's West Bank.
Hatshepsut ruled Egypt as pharaoh for roughly two decades during the 18th Dynasty, one of only a handful of women to take the throne in her own right rather than as a regent — and by most measures, one of the most successful.
How She Came to Power
Hatshepsut began as regent for her young stepson, Thutmose III, after her husband's death, and within a few years took on the full title and regalia of pharaoh herself, including the ceremonial false beard shown in her official statues. Her reign is generally regarded by historians as a period of stability and prosperity, marked by extensive building projects and expanded trade, notably a famous expedition to the Land of Punt.
Her Mortuary Temple
Her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari, on Luxor's West Bank, remains one of ancient Egypt's most striking pieces of architecture — a series of colonnaded terraces cut directly into the cliff face, built to align with the winter solstice sunrise. It's one of the most visited sites on the West Bank today, and unlike almost anything else built in this period.
What Happened After
After her death, many of Hatshepsut's monuments and images were defaced or removed on the order of Thutmose III, for reasons historians still debate — possibly political consolidation rather than personal animosity. Much of what's known about her today comes from the monuments that survived that erasure, including her temple, which endures as the clearest record of her reign.
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