Tomb of Hatshepsut

After seeing the cool holes in the ground at Valley of the Kings and being dragged to a shop we visited the way cool Temple of Hatshepsut. This temple built into the site of the mountain by the only Egyptian Queen to make herself Pharaoh.

This temple is very recognizable as it has appeared in numerous books and movies. It's also way more impressive than looking at the holes in the ground that are the tombs at Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. The tomb is on three levels, each with a long ramp. It's decorated with large statues and the interiors still have much of the original paint. On a clear day you can look down at the Nile Valley.

This site is also known as the only thing Melanie remembers from her last visit to Egypt twenty-one years earlier. She remembers being driven there by a taxi and dropped off right at the entrance where there were no other tourists. Now they have a large parking lot a good distance from the tomb and trolleys to bring the tourists to the base.

In the mountains all around the tomb are holes which were the tombs of the workers and craftsmen who built the tomb. Right by the parking lot are the remains of another tomb for Monthemhat, major of Thebes and Governor of Upper Egypt.

Click on thumbnail for a full-size picture