Egypt Gallery

The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

2012-03-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut also known as Deir El-Bahri is located on the West Bank of Luxor framed by steep cliffs and cut into the side of the mountain. This magnificent Temple was the inspiration of the Queen who would be King - Hatshepsut, daughter of Thutmose I. To know the history of the Temple one needs to know something of the Queen who built it.

Queen Hatshepsut was prevented by her sex from succeeding to the throne after her father Thutmose 1st. although as daughter to the Great Royal wife of Ahmose her lineage made her the only lawful heir as all his sons were from minor wives. She married her half-brother Thutmose II and retained the regency during his reign and co-regency during the subsequent reign of Thutmose III retaining power in her capable hands
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There is no doubt that Queen Hatshepsut was not about to let the fact she was a woman stand in her way of becoming King. She was iron-willed and wore a royal shirt and ceremonial beard, the badges of Kingship. She assumed the throne name-Makere and proved her right to the throne through numerous reliefs of her divine birth.

Once Hatshepsut had secured the throne she embarked on building Temples and Monuments and restoring damaged sanctuaries. As she could not record her name in history through military conquests she sought to record herself in history through architectural achievements.

She erected obelisks in the Karnak Temple is such a way that the glittering tips would shine over the Two Lands just as it appeared in the horizon of heaven. She planned Del El-Bahri to be no less spectacular. She worked with her architect Senmut, drawing ideas from the adjacent 11th Dynasty Temple of the Pharaohs Mentuhotep II and III, but on a larger scale. Using the idea of a terrace and adding an extra tier, he designed a terraced sanctuary including courts, one above the other with connecting sloping ramps at the center. It included shrines dedicated to Hathor and Anubis and chambers devoted to the Queen and her parents.

For Senmut it was a labor of love. He started his service with Hatshepsut as a tutor to her daughter Neferure. He was ambitious and had strong abilities that moved him high on the ladder of success. He was Queen Hatshepsut's strong supporter, lover and no doubt her political adviser and conducted himself as a member of the royal family having no fewer than 40 titles enjoying privileges and perks never before given to a man of humble birth. He was allowed to construct his tomb near the Temple of Hatshepsut something never allowed for any official before or after.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5645884

library of Alexandria

2012-03-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

The burning of the library of Alexandria is one of the greatest tragedies in history. Let me put it this way in all likelihood if the library hadn't been burned then we would probably be using warp drives or by the very least colonizing mars. However not matter how horrible the burning was there is no point to what ifs. But scholars and historians scratch their heads to this very day on how the library was burned. Any one of the following theories could be true. But also it could be all a joint action
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Before we go into theories of its demise lets look at little bit at the library itself. The city was founded by Alexander The Great who founded several cities called Alexandria. However the library itself was founded by his successor in Egypt. Ptolomy II Soter. The library was actually only a part of a museum. But not like the museums we know today the museum was meant to be a temple to the 9 muses. The other parts of the temple included a zoo shrines to each of the muses as well as several gardens and lecture areas. Though of course the most important part was the library itself.
The first suspect is Julius Caesar. Julius had been chasing Pompey. He had chased Pompey all the way into Egypt and Egypt took this is a military action and responded. Julius was quickly cut off from escape and outnumbered. In order to escape he needed to create a distraction and what better distraction then a really big fire? He lit several of his ships on fire and sent them into the Harbor of Alexandria. The fire could have easily spread to the Library.
There Library had so many books that it couldn't hold all of it and there was another temple that held roughly 10% of the books called the temple of Serapis. However a Patriarch of the city of Alexandria Theophilius was a devout christian and had the temple converted and the majority of books burned. Also the final librarians of the great Library were killed in riots between Jews and Christians.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5985940

The secrets hidden in the pyramids of Egypt part _2

2012-03-19T04:40:00.001-07:00

The secrets hidden in the pyramids of Egypt part _1

2012-03-19T04:38:00.001-07:00

Underwater in the Red Sea

2012-03-05T06:57:00.000-08:00