Hatshepsut Temple (Deir el-Bahari)

The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is one of the most architecturally daring structures of ancient Egypt. Three elegant terraces are built into the limestone cliffs of Deir el-Bahari, connected by ramps and lined with colonnades. The building looks as if it has grown out of the mountain — a harmonious fusion of nature and architecture that was millennia ahead of its time.

Hatshepsut (reigned 1479–1458 BC) was the only woman to hold the full pharaonic title. She had herself depicted in reliefs with the false king's beard and male clothing. Her stepson Thutmose III. systematically destroyed many of her depictions and name cartouches after her death — an ancient act of damnatio memoriae. Nevertheless, many reliefs are still preserved, including the famous scenes of the Expedition to Punt (East Africa), showing trade relations, exotic animals, and incense trees.

The temple is particularly impressive in the morning when the sun casts a golden glow on the cliffs and the shadow of the colonnades falls on the bright stone.