Her story raises many questions.
In the history of Egypt had one ruler, who had absolute power, one of the few women who ruled alone. Thus, it violated a centuries-old tradition of succession, as they were alive and the heir male Thutmose III, her stepson. But the Queen Hatshepsut became Pharaoh in defiance of all the traditions, and the Egyptians long concealed this fact. As some circumstances of the life of Hatshepsut, which had to be kept secret.
Hatshepsut was the daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I, after whose death she married his half-brother, born of a commoner, – Thutmosis II. When archaeologists examined the mummy of Tuthmosis II, they came to the conclusion that he was suffering from a rare form of cutaneous disease, which, apparently, was the cause of his sudden death.
After the death of Thutmose II the right to inherit the throne was given to his son from his wife’s side Thutmosis III, but he was too young, Hatshepsut performed when it is acting Regent. However, the role of the Queen was not satisfied – she wanted to achieve full power. After her stepson came of age, she had to suppress several revolts. To strengthen his position, she used the same techniques as other Egyptian pharaohs: when it was built a lot of sculptures and bas-reliefs glorifying the divine nature of Royal power. While Hatshepsut was depicted in the traditional garb of male rulers, with all the attributes of Royal power. All sculptural portraits of her face is decorated with the Royal headdress and fake beard.
Egypt had several female rulers, but none of them achieved such power. Besides, during her reign Egypt prospered. All their efforts Hatshepsut sent for the revival of the country after a long war. Within 7 months on her orders in the temple complex of Amon-RA at Karnak carved two 30-meter obelisk from a single piece of granite. One of them was inscribed these words: “My heart is worried about what people will say about me left of creation after many years.”
A symbol of her reign was a terraced temple of Millions of years on the banks of the Nile in Thebes, so skillfully integrated into the surrounding landscape, as if he actually is a continuation of the rock. Her achievement is also called an expedition to the land of punt (Somalia), after 400-year break. After 3 years the ships returned to Egypt with gold, incense, skins of rare animals and ivory. Eventually it was recognized as a legitimate Queen of Egypt and remained for nearly 20 years.
Evidence of her reign, did not appear until the nineteenth century, the sovereign rule women was a phenomenon in the history of Egypt, carefully hiding for centuries. Besides her stepson, Thutmose III destroyed all the monuments created in the period of her reign, either in retaliation or in order to eliminate evidence of official Imperial title Hatshepsut to believe that the throne passed directly from father to him.
Mystery remained, and her relationship with the chief adviser, the architect of the temple in the valley of the kings, the mentor of daughter of the Queen of Senmut. According to one version, he was not only a mentor, but also her real father. With the accession of Hatshepsut to the throne of Senmut became the owner of the 93 titles and the closest confidant of the ruler. Some researchers believe that this relationship was only the subject of speculation and gossip: “Hatshepsut understood only too well the precariousness of his position to become associated with him physically,” says Keller. If their relationship became public, a military coup would be inevitable.
A true portrait of the female Pharaoh to recreate is also extremely difficult – usually image of the Lord was rather conventional and symbolic. A mystery has long remained, and the location of the mummy of Hatshepsut in the tomb discovered it was not. Only after some time found her in one of the rooms near the tomb lying on the floor.
