The
mortuary temple of Hatshepsut is a
mortuary temple built during the reign of
Hatshepsut, a pharaoh of the
Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, around the 15th century BC. Located opposite the city of
Luxor, the temple's three terraces rise above the desert floor and into the cliffs of
Deir el-Bahari.
Hatshepsut's tomb lies inside the same massif, capped by
El Qurn, a pyramid for her mortuary complex. At the edge of the desert, one kilometre (0.6 miles) east, connected to the complex by a causeway lies the accompanying valley temple. Across the river
Nile, the whole structure points towards the monumental Eighth Pylon, Hatshepsut's most recognizable addition to the temple of
Karnak. The temple's twin functions are identified by its axes: its main east–west axis served to receive the
barque of
Amun-Re at the climax of the festival, while its north–south axis represented the life cycle of the pharaoh from coronation to rebirth. This aerial photograph shows the reconstructed mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, viewed from the southeast.
Photograph credit: Diego Delso
