Hatshepsut: The First Female Pharaoh of Egypt
...Hatshepsut becoming pharaoh she dressed as a female, but when she was crowned she transformed her appearance to that of a man. Appiah and Gates (1999) says she wore the same outfit as the former pharaohs. Even in her great seal she was referred to as a man, so Hatshepsut was referred to as male and female. Hatshepsut was very productive as queen. But because she was not a male, but female ruler there were problems she had to face. Most of the revolts Hatshepsut faced were because of her Tuthmose III. He was getting older and realized what was going on and he was not happy about the whole situation at all. Everything that was a problem Queen Hatshepsut's solved it, by being smart and listening to Amun. A major part of her successful reign was her loyal and influential officials, they had control over the most important parts of her government. She was very involved in the political life of Egypt and had good skills in it. While she ruled there were no wars but she sent vast amounts of expeditions, and built great temples. Walter(1963) says the temples that she ordered to be built were wonderful accomplishments of the Egyptians skills in the area of architecture. The massive obelisks that Queen Hatshepsut had built were the largest of their time. Senmut the architect behind these jobs had two large obelisks made. They were made from red granite from Aswan. The obelisks were over ninety-five feet long and weighed 700,000 pounds. They took seven months to be carved by hundreds of men and then they had to move them. It is believed that great levers must have been used to trundle the enormous stone sledges. These sledges were hauled over rollers to the edge of the Nile. There an embankment of sand had been built over a large boat. Once on this embankment the obelisk was lowered by removing the sand. Freed from the embankment, the craft carrying the obelisk floated downstream to its destination at Thebes on the western side of the Nile. Many smaller boats were probably used to guide the laden barges on their way. The obelisks were put on shore by large rollers. They made a ramp out of bricks, which the obelisk was moved along it. They rested the bottom of it in a hole with sand over a block. This caused the sand to move and the obelisk sank in place. At the very top of the massive stone, there had been placed a mixture of gold and silver that glistened in the sun. The title of the queen "that her name might remaining enduring forever and ever." Senmut was the father of one of Hatshepsut children. He was also a member of the board and he had many titles, so she made him a very prominent person in Egypt. At that time another temple existed named the temple of Mentuhotep II. But Hatshepsut's temple was much bigger. Senmut designed the temple with rows of columns along the side of the temple and cliff side. That reflected the vertical patterns displayed by the cliff backdrop. The temple was built within the mountainside. Two ramps connected the three levels, and on either side of the lower incline were T-shaped papyrus pools. There were sphinxes and the Myrrh trees from Punt. The sweet smell of these trees must of made the ground level of the temple smell gloriously wonderful. All the Sphinxes had the heads of Hatshepsut, and she is also represented by a lion in some of the temple's relives. Although she had no specific enemies, she is represented clawing at adversaries and capturing birds of evil with a clap net. I believe that since Senmut was her lover and he was being well benefited he did a really outstanding soul felt job on Hatshepsut's temple. The temple was like an empty book, and the walls were the pages. Since the temple took about twenty years to build things Hatshepsut did were then written on the walls. Some things that were one the walls were the story of how Hatshepsut was the daughter of Amon-Ra. According to Bediz(1997) this story is as follows Amon took the form of the noble king Tuthmose and found the queen sleeping in her room. With the pleasant odorous that proceeded from him announced his presence she woke. He gave her his heart and showed himself in hid god like splendor. When he approached the queen wept for joy at his strength and beauty and he gave her his love. On the walls were also how she did a lot to take care and fix all the damage that the former ruling Hyksos invaders, the expeditions that she sent to Punt and the great obelisks at another temple called Karnak. The main entrance of the temple, which Senmut designed, had a pylon gate of white limestone. The temple had a lot of ramps that ended at a lot of terraces that had large statues of Queen Hatshepsut. All the way at the top of the last ramp, there was an entrance that lead into a great colonnaded courtyard. Behind the door hidden almost in the dark was a secret statue. The statue was none other than Senmut. Walter (1963) states many people believed that this statue in the great, holy, and sacred temple of the Queen represents the power of the commoner who dared proclaim his deeds even in the sacred presents of the Queen's temple. In the center of the statues of Hatshepsut as a royal mortal being and as a pharaoh. In the temple there was a large doorway. This doorway extended on, but not just anyone could enter through here. For passing through here which had the statue of Amun. This place was the most sacred and holy place, only priests were able to pass through there. Throughout the whole temple there were chapels for the gods Hathor, goddess of the Nile; Anubis, god of the dead; and to Hatshepsut. Most of what was printed on the walls of the great temple were of the great voyages to Punt. The extensive amount of expeditions that Queen Hatshepsut sent out went to a place named Punt, El-Sayed (1995) reported that it’s at the Coast of Africa on the southernmost end of the Red Sea, which today it is know as Somalia. The expeditions brought back g...