Luxor

Travelers' Takes

Rates and Deals

Hatshepsut Temple - Deir el-Bahri

More Photos
Adelaide
Adelaide
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
7
Reviews
48
Photos
Sort by: Most Recent|Positive|Negative|Most Useful
1-5 of 7
Editor Pick

The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

  • September 21, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by garymarsh6 from Gravesend, United Kingdom
The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

The Queen who would be King.

The Mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut otherwise known as the Temple of Deir El-Bahri is a temple in Egypt that is probably better known in recent times where a massacre of tourists occurred recently in 1997. 36 tourists were killed by Islamic terrorists causing a severe decline in Egypt’s tourist industry for which the Egyptian economy relies so much on. Queen Hatshepsut’s actual burial tomb was found in the Valley of the Kings about a mile away by Carter in 1916.

In order to improve the safety of Tourists and encourage tourists back to Eygpt the movement set up tourist police to be in attendance where ever tourists were likely to visit. There are armed tourist police stationed at all national monuments, tombs and temples, the pyramids, museums, tourist hotels, airports stations and buses that travel the country in convoys with armed guards and on the cruise boats. Tourists were not permitted to travel on overnight trains in case of ambush, tour buses had to move off in convoys with armed guards to ensure their safety. Slowly over the last few years tourism has increased in Eygpt.

The temple is situated at Luxor on the opposite side of the River near the Valley of the Kings. It is probably one of the best known temples because of its size and distinctive structure.

Hot air Balloon trip.

On the day of our visit to the temple we got up at 5AM had a coffee then went into Luxor where we boarded a motor launch to cross the river. On the opposite side of the river was a small mini bus waiting to take us to the Balloon launching site. On the trip to the balloon launch pad we were given strict safety instructions which were as follows that when told to do so when coming to land you must crouch down in a squatting position with your back against the wall of the basket and holding onto the safety ropes during the landing and to remain in this position until told it was ok to stand up.

It was still dark and the sun was just about to rise as we stepped into wicker baskets of the already inflated balloons. The balloon took 20 passengers in the four compartmental baskets, five in each compartment. The ground crew who had inflated the balloon started to sing and bang on drums waving us off. The pilot fired up the balloon and gently the balloon rose gracefully and peacefully into the air.

The balloon rose getting higher and higher into the sky giving unprecedented views of the ground below. You could see all the sugar cane fields as the balloon gently passed over the fields. There were already workers in the fields who would look up and give a wave. Kids ran along the roads and through the fields following the balloons as fast as their little legs would carry them.

We passed over the sleepy villages that was slowly coming to life the women in Jilbabs making their way to the bakers as the men fed the cattle and livestock in the courtyards of their houses. Soon we passed over the villages and headed towards the mountains and over the dessert. There must have been approximately 60 balloons rising gently into the air. The view through the early morning haze of the Nile River in the distance and Luxor on the other side was beautiful and the balloons floating gracefully wherever the wind decided to take them. As the balloon began to drop the pilot gave a quick burst of hot air by firing up the gas cylinders and we rose higher.

The pilot pointed out various outlines of tombs lying below us some were already discovered and dug out whilst the outlines of others still waiting to be disturbed by archaeologists or worse by grave robbers. One of the villages had been built over tombs and you could see that the archaeologists had dug in between the houses to explore the tombs. These tombs were quite a distance from the Valley of the Kings so were probably those of workers or other important figures involved in the construction of the tombs.

Finally as we came round the corner the magnificent structure came into view. It had been built half way up the side of a mountain and was a vast complex. There was a massive parade like ground on either side of the approach to the temple. The temple consisted of three tiers. There was a ramp leading up to the temple which seemed absolutely massive. As we floated around the corner high above the mountains we could see another temple that was similar to Queen Hatshepsut’s mortuary tomb but on a much smaller scale.

We passed over more mosques and temples and there was evidence of more buried tombs still awaiting discovery. Our balloon began its gentle descent across more fields and then over sandy and rocky ground. The ground crew had been following us and were waiting as we came into land. Looking over the top of the basket to the smiling men waiting to guide the balloon down and anchor it once we landed. We all crouched down once instructed to do so first one gentle bump and a slight scraping sound and then another bump and we were on the ground the pilot opened the top of the balloon by pulling on a cord and a circle of material opened allowing the hot air to escape from the hole and the balloon deflated quite quickly finally collapsing in a heap as the side of the basket. We all got out of the balloon the ground crew helping us out of the basket whilst we waited for the balloon to finish deflating.

We got back in the bus then drove up to the Mortuary temple. A little trolley bus took us up to the beginning of the ramp. By this time it was about half past nine and the sun had come up and it was very warm to say the least and the sun made everything seem very bright. We reached the first level of the temple and looked at the sculptures and the intricate painted walls. These were at either side of the ramp. There were pieces of statues scattered around at the side of the temple. We then walked up the ramp to the second tier. From here there was a magnificent view down the valley towards Luxor across the Nile. On reaching the top of the ramp there were two statues of the Queen dressed in Pharonic costume depicting the Pharaoh with the pharaoh’s hat and beard signs that she was a pharaoh. She was often depicted as being a man although she described herself as being beautiful. It was unusual for the Queen to be Pharaoh but she inherited the throne from her husband rather than her son as he was deemed too young. She was on the throne for approximately 22 years and designed her own tombs plus many other buildings. She was a very successful Queen. The tombs took 15 years to build. Some of the paintings on the wall depicted her reign and also the gifts she sent to another queen. Many statues of the Queen and historical depictions of her were destroyed probably by her son. She had to be ever mindful of coup attempts.

The final tier is where all the funerary rites and rituals would have taken place. It is entered via a colonnaded square with effigies and carvings of Horus. There are quite a few murals on the surrounding walls. You then enter via a doorway into a large inner court with various rooms and anterooms leading off the main square. There is little to see here as most of the temple was in ruins when carter discovered this tomb in 1903 and since that time the tomb has been restored some purists say that it should never have been restored but the outstanding details or the amazing ramp and stairways gives a brilliant indication of how magnificent this imposing temple must have looked like thousands of years ago.

From a distance this tomb looks absolutely amazing and nothing at all like any of the other tombs you will visit along the concourse of the Great Nile River. It is well worth a visit either as described above in a hot air balloon or on foot. The sheer size of the tomb makes you feel very insignificant when standing in front of it. It must have been very hard on the poor workers to have carved the whole structure out of the mountains.

From journal The Ancient Delights of the Middle East

A Rare Queen of Ancient Egypt: Hatshepsut

  • January 26, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by NiceGinna from Evanston, Illinois
A Rare Queen of Ancient Egypt: Hatshepsut

It was very unusual for Egypt to have a Queen. The most famous was Hatshepsut who had a lot of work done on Luxor Temple which we saw earlier. She had many obelisks raised in her honor and tried for taller and taller ones. She dressed often as a man, perhaps to hide her insecurity with being a woman. Her temple is amazingly modern and new looking, with its elegant symmetry. In the 1st century her monument was converted into a chapel.

From journal An Unforgettable 10 Days in Egypt

Editor Pick

Hatshepsut’s Temple

  • February 18, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Drever from Ayr
Hatshepsut’s Temple

At first glimpse as we stepped off the coach Hatshepsut’s Temple seemed to grow out of the towering pink cliffs. Across the River Nile from Thebes, at the foot of the Theban hills its wide columned halls reflect the vertical patterns displayed in the cliff behind.

Excavated in 1896 from drifted sand, the remains of the 3000-year-old temple still impress. Broken stonework awaiting restoration lie neatly arranged on the terrace as repairs continue.

Through use of coalitions and marriage Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BC) became Egypt’s only woman pharaoh. Successful in warfare early in her reign she ushered in a long peaceful era. By re-established trading links lost during foreign occupation she brought wealth to Egypt. This financed building projects of a calibre not matched by any other culture for a thousand years. Building the temple complex itself took 20 years, almost as long as she ruled.

To keep her body and riches safe from grave robbers, a tunnel extends from the temple through to the Valley of the Kings where her sanctuary, built in secret, lies within the mountainside.

The temple expresses Hatshepsut’s power while alive. After her death, her husband Tuthmosis IV, who had been living in her shadow, took revenge. He destroyed images of her face, and even her cartouches (name tag written in hieroglyphs) to prevent her journeying to the afterlife. But for missing an image on column capitals he would have erased her image forever.

Reliefs explain her divine conception, her efforts to repair damage inflicted by Hyksos invaders and her erection of the colossal obelisks at the temple of Karnak. As her reign progressed, the blank walls filled with details of her life

Within the colonnades superb detailed reliefs document her peaceful expansion of the empire’s trade links with the African kingdom of Punt (modern Somalia). Superb portrays of the marine life of the Red Sea would do credit to a marine biologist.

The temple dedicated to Amon and Hathor, Hatshepsut's claimed parents, shows the cow goddess Hathor depicted with Hatshepsut’s features on column capitals. There are also chapels dedicated to other gods, like Anubis, the god of embalming.

The ground level had sphinxes and fragrant myrrh trees from Punt. These trees are bush like but with a delicate smell. Myrrh was compulsory in the religious rituals performed in any temple in Egypt. The sphinxes had the head of Hatshepsut. She also appears as a lion clawing at enemies and capturing "birds of evil" with a net.

From the lower ramp (ramps connected the three levels) there used to be other sphinxes leading all the way down to the Nile. Several of these sphinxes are now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. These stood in line with those across the river at the Temple of Amon at Karnak. Processional boats connected the two sites, allowing combined rituals.

The temple is a fitting monument to a great woman.

From journal Red Sea Celebrations

Editor Pick

Hatshepsut's Temple - Pronounced Hat-Cheap-Suit

  • June 6, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia
Hatshepsut's Temple - Pronounced Hat-Cheap-Suit

Queen Hatshepsut was the stepmother to Tuthmose III, who was too young to ascend to the throne. Hatshepsut was to serve in his stead, but was able to draw enough supporters and become queen in her own right—one of the few female rulers of Egypt. She even dressed in the male ceremonial garb. She built her temple in Luxor to reinforce her claim that she deserved the throne because she was a direct descendant of the sun god. Her temple was built by her lover (she couldn't marry or else lose her title to him).

As you can imagine Tuthmose III wasn’t happy about this, as he grew to an age where he could assume power. Hatshepsut died mysteriously, and when she did, he took back the kingdom that he thought had been ripped from him. He wanted revenge, so he set out to destroy all references to Hatshepsut—including “redecorating” her temple, scratching out her cartouche in all the reliefs on the temple walls.

Hatshepsut, however, had built the temple for the god, and to destroy her temple completely would be to disrespect the god, drawing the people’s anger. So he couldn’t erase her totally from history, so she lives on.

The temple is built into the rock, and has three levels for worship for the sun god. It also had a room dedicated to Anubis, the funerary god. The reliefs still show vibrant colors (where Thutmose III didn’t scratch them out) and are just beautiful (we were told that they were the originals)

There is an admission charge of about 20 Egyptian pounds, but you can take your cameras in. A little tram train will save you the walk from the admissions booth to the entrance of the temple. It’s not an unreasonable walk, but save your energy when it’s hot.

This is a must see in Luxor!

From journal Luxor Egypt, Not Vegas

Hatshepsut Temple

  • July 4, 2004
  • Rated 3 of 5 by lslay78 from Tacoma, Washington
After our visit to the Valley of the Kings we hiked out and over the hills towards Deir Al-Bahri. We had spectacular views of Hatshepsut Temple from directly above on the cliffs. The sun was hot, so a hat and plenty of water is highly recommended.

The temple itself appears to be cut right out of the cliffs in an eye-pleasing manner. However, as far as temples go, it wasn't very exciting. Maybe that's because it was the millionth temple we'd seen, but the reliefs weren't spectacular and the ramps are a bit of a climb in the hot sun.

From journal Exploring Egypt 2004

Sort by: Most Recent|Positive|Negative|Most Useful
1-5 of 7

Compare Luxor Rates

1. Enter travel information

City

2. Select websites to compare rates

Each selected website will open a new window.

Luxor Travel Deals