The Layout
Mortuary Temple of Pharaoh HatshepsutDjeser-Djeseru, The Sublime of the Sublimes, Holy of Holiests
Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s Mansions of Millions of Years
Layout
Entrance pylon into the First courtyard
This included a garden full of plants from the Land of Punt, with the central pathway was lined with Trees and Sphinx
To the rear of the Courtyard was a Colonnade with Pillars at the front. On the back wall were Reliefs depicting Pharaoh Hatshepsut, but these are generally unrecognisable today, somewhat due to time but in general due to the campaign to wipe-out the female Pharaoh’s reign by her successor, Pharaoh Tuthmose III
The Ramp to Level 2 was graced by 2 Statues of crouching Lion
Level 2
Second courtyard and Senenmut’s tomb; Birth Colonnade; Punt colonnade; Hathor chapel and Anubis chapel
Birth Colonnade
To the right of the Ramp, the Birth Colonnade depicts Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s divine birth. It shows:
- God Amun with the unborn future Pharaoh
- God Amun merging with Pharaoh Tuthmose I and impregnating the Queen, Hatshepsut’s mother, Queen Ahmose
- God Amun then reveals himself to the Royals and prophesises that Hatshepsut will become Pharaoh
- Pregnant Queen Ahmose is taken to the Birthing Chamber by the Deities where she gives birth
- Baby Hatshepsut and her Soul – her Ka – are fed by the Sky Goddess Hathor
Punt Colonnade
To the left of the Ramp depicts Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s expeditions to Punt which was hugely successful. In brief, the reliefs show the Egyptians leaving Egypt in their boats, arriving in Punt, their welcome in Punt, and their return to Egypt with huge amounts of cargo which includes the shrubs and trees which adorn the Mortuary Temple’s Courtyards. To learn more about Hatshepsut’s successful expedition to Punt, click here.
Hathor Chapel: South end of Colonnade with its own Hypostyle Hall and exquisite Goddess Hathor headed Columns
Anubis Chapel: North end of Colonnade with its own Hypostyle Hall and astronomical ceiling. Many of the reliefs fell victim to the erasing of Pharaoh by her successor.
Ramp to level 3: Statues of 2 Statues of the God Horus depicted as a Falcon grace the sides of the Ramp
Level 3
Third courtyard: Royal cult chapel; Solar cult chapel and the Sanctuary of the God Amun
Portico with 2 sets of columns facing forward. The exterior facing Columns are of Pharaoh Hatshepsut is Osiride format. Behind the columns there is a central Courtyard with small chambers leading off the Courtyard, regrettably much here is damaged. To the left is the Royal Cult Chapel.
Solar Cult Chapel
To the right is the Solar Cult Chapel. Happily, the Chapel has recently reopened after it was thoroughly renovated by Egyptologists. It needed to be done due to the huge amount damage that the Atenists caused to it during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten. To learn more about this, click here.
I have added many more photos or the Solar Chapel Court and its entrance on a different webpage. Please click here to access them.
The Sanctuary of God Amun is behind the Courtyard and was aligned to point toward Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s Tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
