A Queen in the Valley of the Kings Reigning over Egypt’s vast empire 3,500 years ago, the Pharaoh Hatshepsut fostered peace and a flourishing economy

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She was the daughter of a pharaoh, the wife of a pharaoh and the stepmother of a pharaoh. But did you know that she also held the title herself and was one of the greatest pharaohs in Egypt’s long history?

Her name was Hatshepsut. Tour guides will tell you to remember her name by calling her “Hat Cheap Suit” or “Hot Chick Soup.”

Hatshepsut was neither the first nor last female pharaoh, but next to Cleopatra, who held power some 450 years later, she was Egypt’s most famous female ruler. She reigned in the New Kingdom’s 18th Dynasty, a golden age during which Egypt’s empire triumphed over most of the known world. Later in this dynasty came Amenophis IV, who later called himself Akhenaten, his wife, Nefertiti, and Tutankhamen, who was quite likely that couple’s son.

Hatshepsut was born about 3,500 years ago, the daughter of King Thutmosis I and Queen Ahmose, both of royal lineage. Hatshepsut married her younger half-brother, Thutmosis II, a common type of union designed to preserve the royal line because women were thought to carry the royal blood.

One of Hatshepsut’s two older half-brothers normally would have come to the throne upon the death of Thutmosis I, but both boys died prematurely. Hatshepsut’s young husband and half-brother, Thutmosis II, thus ascended to power. Hatshepsut seems to have ruled jointly with him, but he died after only three or four years as pharaoh. His mummy reveals that he may have suffered from a skin disease.

Egyptologists disagree on whether the union of Thutmosis II and Hatshepsut yielded any children. Some scholars attribute at least one daughter, Neferu-Re, to them, and some say the child died young. Some also speak of Hatshepsut’s second daughter, called Merira-Hatshepset. All agree that Thutmosis II produced a son, Thutmosis III, by a commoner. Thutmosis III would become the next pharaoh, but experts disagree on whether Neferu-Re or Merira-Hatshepset would become his wife.

Because Hatshepsut had descended from a line of influential queens and because Thutmosis III was just a boy when he was declared supreme ruler, Hatshepsut took control of the Egyptian government. She at first presented herself as the boy’s regent, but within a few years had herself declared as pharaoh in her own right.

Hatshepsut’s strategy for snagging the title of pharaoh was both gutsy and brilliant. First, she convinced Egyptians that the god Amon Ra had come to Queen Ahmose as Thutmosis I when Hatshepsut was conceived, making her the daughter of the chief god. Second, she claimed that her father appointed her as true king instead of her half-brothers.

Then, blessed with charisma, political astuteness, her own propaganda and the support of powerful and loyal government officials, Hatshepsut began a gradual physical transformation toward the appearance of a male pharaoh. She had herself depicted with a false beard, traditional kilt, royal crown and pharaonic headdress replete with the cobra emblem.

Hatshepsut ruled for about 20 years. Egypt’s economy flourished under her leadership and she devoted herself to both administration and commerce. Her reign was characterized as peaceful, although she maintained military control. She also dispatched a fleet of ships to the mysterious land of Punt near what is thought to be present-day Somalia in East Africa. There, she traded for such goods as frankincense, myrrh, ebony, ivory, gold, resins and wild animals that included monkeys and baboons.

Hatshepsut was famed for her outstanding building projects. These included renovations of the portions of the great temple of Karnak and the construction of obelisks dedicated to her at Karnak. Other ventures included small temples, vast numbers of statues and a tomb for herself and her father in the Valley of the Kings.

Hatshepsut’s most glorious achievement, her mortuary temple Djser-Djeseru, was carved into the stark and rugged cliffs of Deir el-Bahri. Strategically placed on the west bank of the Nile, where a passage could be cut from the Valley of the Kings, this remarkably beautiful temple lies on a direct line from Karnak on the Nile’s east bank. The temple was designed by Hatshepsut’s architect Senmut, a trusted adviser, holder of numerous titles, and thought by some to have been her lover.

Unfortunately for historians, many of Hatshepsut’s images were later mutilated. Her name was typically scratched out and replaced by that of Thutmosis III. Although some scholars believe that Thutmosis IIII hated his stepmother and had her murdered, others believe that he simply asserted his own importance later in his reign or that early Coptic Christians played a role in defacing her artifacts. In any case, her rule ended about 1458 B.C. and much of what was known of her slipped into obscurity. Her mummy has never been identified.

Because existing images, hieroglyphics and dates are subject to interpretation, scholars may never agree on names, relationships or events. But if you have the chance, as I recently did, be sure to visit Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahri. As you stand in awe of this architectural marvel carved into the tawny cliffs, ponder the mysteries of Hatshepsut, the queen who would be king.

Beth Parks lives in the Hancock County village of Corea. You can reach her at bparks@umext.maine.edu

Recommended Tour

For more information about tours of the region, such as a 12-day tour starting at $2,798, visit www.affordabletours.com or call 1-800-935-2620.

Here are some of the highlights, which include a four-day, three-night cruise along the Nile:

Cairo

Egyptian Museum

Shopping for gold, papyrus, carpets

Old Cairo

Bazaar (Khan al-Khalili)

Mosques and temples

Giza

Pyramids

Great Sphinx

Camel ride (optional)

Memphis

40-foot statue of Ramses

Alabaster Sphinx

Sakkara

Step Pyramid of Zoser, designed by Imhotep

Alexandria

Tour of seaport city

Greco-Roman Museum

Catacombs

Pompey’s Pillar

Luxor Area (ancient Thebes)

Karnak Temples

Luxor Temple and Temple of Amon Ra

Avenue of the Sphinxes

Valley of the Kings

Valley of the Queens

Deir El-Bahri (Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple)

Colossi of Memnon

Nile Cruising

Edfu

Temple of Horus

Horse-drawn carriage ride

Kom Ombo

Temple dedicated to falcon and crocodile gods

Aswan

Old Dam and Aswan High Dam

Temple of Isis (Philae)

Granite Quarries and Unfinished Obelisk

Felucca ride

Abu Simbel (optional)

Ramses Temple with immense statues

Hotels (included in tour package):

Cairo – Mena House Garden (a former royal hunting lodge)

Luxor – Movenpick Jolie Ville

Aswan – Elephantine Island Resort

Cairo – Sheraton Heliopolis

Recommended reading:

Egypt, a tour book published by Lonely Planet. Retails for $23.99, but available used at Amazon.com for as little as $16.31.

Art and History of Egypt: 5000 years of Civilization (English Edition) by Alberto Carlo Capiceci, published by Casa Editrice Bonechi. Available new or used from Amazon.com for as little as $2.61.

For a bit of fun, watch the movies The Mummy and The Mummy Returns.