Deir el-Bahri name means 'North Monastery', which indicates that the site was used by Christian monks. Before the arrival of Christianity, the site in the Valley of the Kings is a Tomb temple complex built by the ancient Egyptians. One of the most famous of the temples tombs at Deir el-Bahri is the Temple of Hatshepsut.
Hatshepsut is arguably one of the most powerful woman in ancient Egypt. After the death of her husband, Thutmose II, Hatshepsut served as a temporary ruler's nephew or his stepson, Thutmose III was a baby, but eventually he established himself as the fifth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. Approximately 22 years of the reign of Hatshepsut is generally regarded as one of the most prosperous period of Egypt and the great achievements reached by the pharaoh of this extraordinary woman, including the construction of his tomb temple at Deir el-Bahri.
The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut known to the ancient Egyptians as Djeser-Djeseru (Holy of Holies), and is said to take 15 years to complete, between year 7 to year 22 of the reign of Hatshepsut. Construction of the tomb shrine was supervised by Senenmut, Hatshepsut royal architect, who, according to some, also her lover. Apart from that, the final product Senenmut is an impressive monument that allows posthumous worship Hatshepsut, and convey the greatness of this Pharaoh. While the temple architecture of the tomb itself worthy of admiration, certain features seem to be more prominent than others.
One of the features of the tomb shrine Hatshepsut is projecting greatness colonnade (pole / pillar), known as the 'Pillar Punt', located on the left side of the ramp (road / plane inclined) to the third level. Colonnade has reliefs that tell one of the greatest achievements of Hatshepsut, the expedition to Punt. Punt is a rich country that is now the location is still a mystery (can be read here). Unlike many pharaonic reliefs found in numerous monuments of Egypt, Hatshepsut expedition was not militaristic, but trade is the mission objectives. This could be an indication of the priority Hatshepsut, though Pharaoh claimed that the expedition was done to attract people's tribute of Punt. However, the expedition was a success, and based on the reliefs in colonnade, many luxury objects and exotic creatures brought back to Egypt, including trees of myrrh, gold, ivory, leopard skins and apes.
A successful trade mission to a foreign country, however, are not enough to describe Hatshepsut as pharaoh. Because she was a woman, Hatshepsut defy the norm to become a pharaoh, a position reserved for men only. Thus, he had to legitimize his claim to the pharaoh-ness. Therefore, a complicated birth story also carved into the other pillar of the so-called "pillar of birth". According to the story on the pillar, Hatshepsut was not an ordinary man, but it has offspring god Amun. Told the god Amun disguised as Pharaoh Thutmose I, Hatshepsut and went to her, Ahmose, and impregnated her. Amun then reveals itself to Ahmose, and predicted that would Hatshepsut ruled Egypt. Khnum, the creator of the body of the children of men, then ordered to form a body and ka (the life force) Hatshepsut. Ahmose then guided by Khnum and Heqet into the delivery room and with the help of Meskhenet, Hatshepsut was born. Finally, Hatshepsut is displayed suckled by Hathor, while the birth is recorded by Seshat. With so many gods are involved in his birth, his claim Hatshepsut as pharaoh. Interestingly, the same birth stories can also be found at Karnak.
After the death of Hatshepsut, towards the end of the reign of Thutmose III and the early reign of his successor, there is an attempt to obliterate the history of this woman pharaoh. Many statues in the temple of Hatshepsut's tomb which is torn down, destroyed and vandalized before buried in a hole. Inscriptions and images of her on -relief reliefs on the walls and pillars, including birth pillar is also removed. Thus, the 'pillar of birth' in the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, Hatshepsut and Amun image has been removed. However, efforts to remove Hatshepsut from history can be said to fail, because the current Hatshepsut remembered as one of the most successful Egyptian pharaohs.
Why is herein referred to as Pharaoh Hatshepsut First Woman? Is not the time of the 12th Dynasty there were also women Sobekneferu? Yes, as the title of Pharaoh to the new Egyptian rulers used during the 18th dynasty.
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