The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is the focal point of the Deir el-Bahri (“Northern Monastery”) complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor.
Hatshepsut was the fifth Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Ancient Egypt. She is generally regarded by modern Egyptologists as one of the most successful pharaohs, ruling longer than any female ruler of an indigenous dynasty.
The temple is one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt. It is decorated with carved reliefs illustrating some of the great events of Hatshepsut’s reign. These include the transportation of obelisks from the quarries in Aswan to the temple of Amun at Karnak; the queen’s divine birth (legitimizing her rule through descent from the god Amun) and her coronation; and a great trading expedition to Punt. On the middle levels are chapels for Anubis and Hathor. On the upper level, there is the sanctuary of the god Amun.