The Life Of Hatshepsut
... her father, which left Thutmose II next in line; but Hatshepsut was not to be forgotten. When Thutmose I died, Thutmose II became ruler. He was the son of Thutmose I and his mistress, Moutnofrit. As was the custom in Egypt, Thutmose II married the oldest daughter of his father who was Hatshepsut. She was his half sister and wife and they ruled together for three to four years. Thutmose II had a skin disease and died in 1479 BC. Hatshepsut and Thutmose II had no children, but Thutmose II had a son with his lover, Isis. This child was Thutmose III and he was to become the next ruler. He was only 3 years old so Hatshepsut stepped in and took control as a queen regent. During Hatshepsut’s reign there were no wars so she was able to put expeditions as a priority. One of the most remarkable expeditions was when Hatshepsut sent 5 ships to Punt (present day Somalia). This journey helped create a route down the Nile River. Her expeditions were in search of ivory, animals, spices, gold, and aromatic trees. In addition to finding these goods, the expeditions helped establish trade with countries such as Asia, Nubia, and Libya. These trips were well documented in the hieroglyphic inscriptions on the wall of her temple. Hatshepsut was very clever in the way she portrayed herself as a capable ruler. Her people already liked her because her father had been a popular pharaoh and she let it be known that she was his favorite. She also claimed that her true father was the sun god, Amen-Ra. Egyptians believed that the pharaohs were from a divine lineage. Once again Hatshepsut provided her people with what they wanted. Hatshepsut was also careful to look like a pharaoh her people were used to seeing. She wore the full pharaoh’s attire, which included a false beard, shendyt kilt, and the nemes headdress. She was very successful in making herself a respected leader. Her people called her “Good Queen Hatshepsut.” Another way she gained popularity was by restoring old buildings and building new works of art. Hatshepsut made it a priority to rebuild what the Hyksos invaders had destroyed. She is remembered for building a beautiful temple called Der el Bahri. It was built in the Valley of the Kings, which is near Thebes. It took fifteen years to build. This was a unique piece of architecture for its time. The hieroglyphics covering the walls of the temple are the best source of information about her and her reign. Hatshepsut also had many obelisks carved. They were very important monuments during the New Kingdom. They weighed more than 300 tons and stood 97 fee...