Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

This is the famous temple, dedicated to Amun, of Hatshepsut, the 2nd historically confirmed female pharoah to rule Egypt, reigning in the 1st half of the 16th century BCE. This is a unique and stunning temple. Unfortunately, it was defaced be her successor, Thutmose III.
Each of the columns on the 2nd level had a statue of Hatshepsut. These were taken down and buried by Thutmose III, but they were found and some were restored. As this suggests, much of what we see today is a restoration.
All the paintings, however, are original. The 5th picture is of a section of the original ceiling/roof in blue with golden stars.Read more