The real name of the first impostor in troubled times. Time of Troubles: short and clear

Queen Hatshepsut occupies an exceptional place in the history of Ancient Egypt. She was able to become the head of a powerful state and rule it for more than 20 years. However, the most striking fact was that the queen was crowned as the rightful pharaoh, ignoring the centuries-old Egyptian religious tradition of succession to the throne with a male heir - Thutmose III, her nephew and stepson.

Hatshepsut was not the first and only female pharaoh in the history of Egypt, which was traditionally ruled by men. Long before Hatshepsut, only two women ruled Egypt: Neitikert at the end of the 6th dynasty and Nefrusebek at the end of the 12th dynasty1). However, unlike Hatshepsut, these queens, representatives of fading dynasties, reigned for only a short time. Hatshepsut gained power over a prosperous power, whose international authority was confirmed by military campaigns in Asia and Nubia under the queen’s immediate predecessors - Amenhotep I (1551-1524 BC) and Thutmose I (1524-1518 BC). e.).

Any attempt to oppose the traditional concept of kingship could end tragically, even for such an ambitious and politically astute woman as Hatshepsut apparently was.

Her father, Thutmose I, was distinguished by great belligerence, his successful military campaigns in Nubia and Asia testified to his desire to expand the borders of Egypt and create a kind of intermediate zone between Egypt and the hostile kingdom of Mitanni in the northeast. After Thutmose I, almost all the pharaohs of the XVIII-XIX dynasties tried to advance the border of their possessions to the Euphrates River, on the banks of which he erected a memorial stele. In addition to carrying out predatory purposes, the campaigns of the pharaohs at the beginning of the New Kingdom were supposed to ensure the safety of Egypt from invasions from the north. However, despite the intensified aggressive policy of the Egyptians, this period of the history of Ancient Egypt was relatively peaceful when compared with the times of the pharaohs Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, who reigned immediately after Hatshepsut within the same dynasty. The consequence of successful campaigns was expanded temple construction in the capital of Thebes (Uaset). The attention of the victorious pharaohs was primarily focused on the main sanctuary of the city, the Karnak Temple (Ipet - Sut), dedicated to the king of the gods Amon, the patron saint of the pharaohs who ruled in Thebes and the power they created. Of course, large-scale construction would have been impossible without the economic rise of Egypt, caused by the influx of booty from the conquered peoples. Thutmose I directed his main forces to the exaltation of the temple of Amun in Karnak, which corresponded to the policy of the pharaohs, who sought to give Thebes the features of an unusual, victorious city in which a powerful deity was present.

When Thutmose I died, power passed to Thutmose II (1518-1504 BC). From his marriage to Queen Ahmes, Thutmose had two daughters - Hatshepsut and Nephrubiti, who died early. From his second wife, Mutnofret, he also had three sons, one of whom was Thutmose II, who became the heir. Thutmose was married to Hatshepsut.

Hatshepsut was between 15 and 20 years old at that time. It cannot be stated with certainty whether she was married to Thutmose II before her father's death. In any case, now she was the “great royal wife.” The reign of Thutmose II is practically shrouded in darkness; According to some sources, he ruled for 3 years, according to others, 14 years (!). It is known that he tried to pursue a policy of conquest, both in the south and in the north. Weak in health, Thutmose II died, leaving behind in power the young son Thutmose III from his side wife Iset and the experienced queen Hatshepsut, who was, apparently, older than her husband. Since Thutmose III was too young to rule on his own, Hatshepsut assumed the duties of regent, perhaps from the very beginning wanting to assume full power for herself. There are many opinions and interpretations among Egyptologists about when and how Hatshepsut managed to achieve her goal. Did this happen naturally or as a result of court struggle? Was it usurpation or co-ruling between aunt and nephew? It is not even known more or less precisely how old Hatshepsut and Thutmose III were when the latter found himself under the tutelage of his aunt-stepmother. Clarification of this issue is further complicated by the relativity of the dates of Egyptian chronology, which are very arbitrary in relation to modern chronology, not to mention the fact that, due to the scarcity of sources, it is sometimes not even known how many years a particular pharaoh reigned. As for the reign dates accepted by the author, they are taken from the monograph by P. Clayton and seem quite convincing, although there are other chronological options.

According to the Polish Egyptologist J. Karkowski, Thutmose III was no more than 2 years old after the death of Thutmose II, while Hatshepsut was no more than 15 years old. “Therefore, the highest officials and, possibly, Hatshepsut’s mother, Queen Ahmes, should have taken control of the country. The reason for the recognition of Hatshepsut's political role by her contemporaries was the fact that after the death of her husband she was the eldest representative of the royal family. Around her, even in childhood, when Thutmose I was still alive, a court staff was formed. During Hatshepsut's regency, she turned 20 years old. Based on Egyptian sources, it is impossible to firmly establish how active Hatshepsut’s participation was in governing the state. It is quite difficult to answer the question of who was the creator of the idea to proclaim Hatshepsut pharaoh. In any case, much indicates that this happened in the 7th year of the reign of Thutmose III, when Hatshepsut had already reached adulthood. It is also likely that she took an active part in this decision.

One way or another, according to the most widespread version among scientists, the first two years after the death of his father, Thutmose III ruled in his own name (of course, excluding the regency of Hatshepsut). On the monuments of that time, Hatshepsut was depicted behind the figure of Thutmose III under the titles of queen and great royal wife. On blocks from Karnak, Hatshepsut appears in images of religious ceremonies that only the pharaoh could perform.

About this period, the court architect Ineni wrote: “His son (Thutmose II) took his place as king of the Two Lands5). He began to rule on the throne of the one who conceived him. His sister, the wife of the god Hatshepsut, took care of the country. Both Earths (lived) according to her plans, worked for her, Egypt - with great zeal! The useful seed of God (that is, Hatshepsut) came out of him! The bow rope of the South, the mooring stake of the Southerners, the stern rope of this excellent land of the North. Mistress of orders, excellent in her plans; she, according to whose speech, Both Banks (that is, Egypt) are constantly satisfied.

However, everything soon changed when Hatshepsut gained the support of influential nobles at court. She completely concentrated the government of the country in her hands, leaving only secondary functions to her nephew. This political step was not accompanied by any shocks: neither hostility between opposing parties, nor civil war. However, Hatshepsut could only take such a step with the support of loyal and, no doubt, interested dignitaries, the most significant of whom were Hapuseneb and Senmut. It must be assumed that the queen quite dramatically changed her environment, leaving the old nobles - the military men of Thutmose I. Perhaps Hatshepsut sought to change the previous expansionist policy of the pharaohs. At least during her reign, Egypt did not wage wars of conquest. Even in the 2nd year of the reign of Thutmose III, the oracle of the god Amun predicted Hatshepsut's power (though without indicating when this would happen). One way or another, the true reasons for this decision are, unfortunately, unclear. All the more strange is the fact that she became a full pharaoh only five years later, that is, in the 7th year of the reign of Thutmose III and her regency.

To confirm his new position, Hatshepsut orders to depict himself in the guise of a male king with all the insignia of pharaonic power. The ancient royal title was redone taking into account the gender of the ruler. According to religious tradition, the ruling pharaoh was identified with the god Horus, but Hatshepsut was often called the female Horus, which clearly contradicted the Egyptian ideas about the pharaoh. In sculpture and reliefs from the period of autocratic rule, Hatshepsut appears in male attire, and her appearance is depicted in accordance with the canon of depictions of the male body, with the exception of the few early statues of the queen that have come down to us.

Hatshepsut's true appearance is not easy to establish. Usually the pharaoh was considered eternally young and strong and, based on this, Egyptian artists created a rather conventional, symbolic portrait of the ruler, so it is very difficult to judge the actual character traits of the person depicted. However, you can try to recreate the portrait of Hatshepsut: a graceful oval face tapering towards a small chin, almond-shaped eyes distinctive for an Egyptian woman, a thin protruding nose, narrow slightly smiling lips and long black hair. However, we should not forget that the sculptures embodied the queens, and were not a realistic portrait of the Roman type.

When Hatshepsut became pharaoh, the priests of Amon created a propaganda text about the election of Hatshepsut as heir by Thutmose I, and a legend about her divine origin from Queen Ahmes and the king of the gods Amon, who took the guise of Pharaoh Thutmose I.

“Both during his regency and after his coronation, Hatshepsut emphasized his special reverence for the gods, especially the main god Amun. Her reign was marked by the flourishing of theological thought, which was reflected in the churches and chapels she built. At the same time, the desire to create something new, previously unknown, is clearly expressed, which fully made itself felt in the magnificent temple of Deir el-Bahri.” The queen began building this temple, located on the western bank of the Nile, in the 8th year of her reign, shortly after her coronation. Dedicated to the funeral cult of the queen, this sanctuary was supposed to demonstrate her power and greatness. The new temple was likely to capture the imagination of contemporaries. First of all, it was dedicated to Amon and the Queen’s Ka. In addition to the sanctuary of Amun, Ra, Hathor, Anubis and the deified Thutmose I were worshiped in the temple. Decorated with colonnades of porticoes, the terraced temple organically blended into the surrounding rocky landscape of the western bank of the Nile. In addition to elegant polychrome reliefs, the temple had 200 statues, 22 sphinxes, 40 Osiric statues depicting the queen sitting or kneeling, about 120 sphinxes decorated the courtyards and the road. The creator of this miracle of Egyptian architecture is considered to be Senmut, a talented architect and major dignitary. He was also one of the organizers of the famous Egyptian expedition to the semi-legendary country of Punt, presumably located on the territory of modern Somalia on the shores of the Gulf of Aden, with which they have maintained trade relations since ancient times. Apparently, Hatshepsut regarded the naval expedition to Punt as one of the most significant events of her reign, worthy of perpetuation. The history of this trading (or rather military trading) expedition is captured in a series of relief scenes in the so-called portico of Punta at Deir el-Bahri. This is the main source telling about the journey to Punt under Hatshepsut. Although the Egyptians had equipped expeditions to this country before, during the era of the Ancient and Middle Kingdoms, the expedition sent by Hatshepsut was much larger and it was the first since the beginning of the New Kingdom after a long break in relations with Punt, which occurred at the end of the Middle Kingdom following the Time of Troubles and capture of Egypt by the Hyksos.

The purpose of the trip to “God’s country” was to establish trade relations and acquire exotic goods: panthers, skins of rare animals, ostrich feathers, ivory, valuable types of wood and living trees themselves, transplanted into baskets, and, in particular, incense for temple rituals. This significant event occurred in the 9th year of the reign of Thutmose III, in fact in the second year of the reign of Hatshepsut - pharaoh, that is, at the time when the temple in Deir el-Bahri was being built. The expedition members were required to bring living varieties of incense trees to Thebes in order to plant them on artificial terraces and in the courtyard of the temple and, thus, “establish a Punt inside the temple.” “Although the Egyptians arrived in the country of Punt accompanied by military detachments, Punt was not conquered by Egyptian troops. Hatshepsut sent her “royal envoy” to Punt in exactly the same way as the Egyptian pharaohs sent their envoys to independent states.” The efforts of the expedition leaders were rewarded with gold; Hatshepsut herself accepted the gifts of Punt, weighing gold and myrrh: “The best myrrh was on all her members, its fragrance (was) the fragrance of God. ... Her skin was, as it were, gilded with light gold, shining, as (the) stars do, inside the (temple) festive courtyard in front of the whole earth.”

Boston University scientists have proven that the most famous queen of Egypt deliberately killed herself with cosmetics and medicinal preparations for her facial skin. They came to this conclusion after studying the contents of the queen’s bottle, which is located in the Egyptology Museum.

It contained fatty acids, nutmeg, and palm oil. In addition, it contained asphalt and creosote, which were widely used at that time to treat various eczemas.

But the most interesting thing is that it also contains the most dangerous carcinogen in the world - benzopyrene resin. This substance is known to cause cancer in smokers. Apparently, Hatshepsut used this remedy quite intensively, as a result of which she received a terrible and incurable disease - skin cancer, instead of the practically unaesthetic eczema that disfigured her skin. And, taking into account the description from various historical chronicles that have survived to our time, the death of the queen occurred precisely from this disease.

The temple in Deir el-Bahri, this “Egyptian Parthenon”, which became the architectural symbol of Hatshepsut’s reign, was not the only object of her construction activities, which unfolded in various cities of the country: Thebes, Hermopolis, Hermontis, El-Kous, El-Kab, Armant, Medamud, Kom Ombo, Elephantine, Speos Artemidos. Hatshepsut apparently attached special significance to the last of these places, dedicating this rock temple near Beni Hassan to the lioness goddess Pakhet. According to religious beliefs, this goddess repelled the attacks of desert spirits. In Hatshepsut’s attention to regional sanctuaries, Yu. Ya. Perepelkin saw the queen’s desire to be friends with the temple nobility, with the local nobility in general. “Local princes have long been the managers of the priests in their cities, and often the high priests of local deities.”

Hatshepsut's death seems quite sudden. According to Egyptian chronology, she died between the 20th and 22nd years of the reign of Thutmose III. Continuing the tradition of her predecessors, Hatshepsut sent expeditions to mine turquoise in the Sinai, in the area of modern Serabit el-Khadim. A stele from the 20th year of the reign of Thutmose III, installed in the Temple of Hathor in Sinai, contains the name Hatshepsut - which means she was still alive then. However, in the 21st year there were no more mentions of Hatshepsut, and there were none in the 22nd year, when Thutmose III sent the expedition alone; Apparently, by this time he began to rule without Hatshepsut. “Without a doubt, Hatshepsut died, however, we do not know of a single document where this would be mentioned. Traditionally, it is believed that Thutmose III fiercely hated his aunt, who kept him in the background for too long, and after her death began to hastily erase her memory , which in particular was expressed in the destruction of her images and names. For example, the Soviet Egyptologist M. E. Mathieu wrote that “Thutmose III destroyed all the sculptures of Deir el-Bahri so thoroughly that before the excavations no one even thought about their existence. By removing and breaking into pieces dozens of wonderful statues of his hated stepmother-aunt, Thutmose III believed that he was not only erasing the memory of her from the face of the earth and from the memory of his people, but even destroying the afterlife of her soul.” The radical reconstruction of the Karnak Temple undertaken by Thutmose III apparently pursued precisely this goal. Perepelkin also shares this almost generally accepted point of view. Hatshepsut's old associates found themselves under close surveillance by Thutmose III, and the tombs of some of them, who had died by that time, were destroyed. This is exactly what the actions of Thutmose III look like after the death of the queen. Some domestic and foreign Egyptologists regard these “repressions” as a consequence of Thutmose’s personal hatred of Hatshepsut and a sharp turn in policy, a renewed course to continue the conquests that did not happen under her.

However, the question remains, why Thutmose III not only did not destroy all the images of Hatshepsut, but also did not completely destroy her funeral temple in Deir el-Bahri? It may be recalled that the temple in Deir el-Bahri was dedicated not only to Hatshepsut, but also to other deities and, first of all, to Amun - the god of the most powerful priesthood, with whom Thutmose III could not help but be taken into account. But in this case, why did the pharaohs (including Thutmose III) without hesitation remodel and destroy the entire suite and halls in the central sanctuary of this god at Karnak? This is exactly what one would expect from the memory-haunting Hatshepsut Thutmose, as he appears to be in some studies.

If the warlike Thutmose really hated his aunt-stepmother, if he wanted to give the name of Hatshepsut into oblivion, then he actually did this only after a significant period of time after her death and very selectively. Most likely, the pharaoh removed the monuments to Hatshepsut not for personal reasons, but was guided by political and religious considerations, since the unnatural existence of a female pharaoh contradicted the worldview of the ancient Egyptians and did not correspond to the idea of a cosmic world order, where everything had its proper place. It is noteworthy that the names and images of Hatshepsut within the iconography of the queen (and not the pharaoh!) remained intact. French Egyptologist C. Jacques believes that “the hatred of Thutmose III exists in the imagination of some Egyptologists. The chipping, erasing, and destruction of images is associated with the pursuit of certain magical goals that cannot yet be satisfactorily explained.” Indeed, a number of inscriptions and relief scenes were knocked down in such a strange manner that their outlines remained clearly visible; Jacques attributes these actions to Ramesses II (1279-1212 BC). Perhaps more acceptable is the opinion of Karkovsky, who writes “that the actions to destroy the names and statues of Hatshepsut, as well as other images of her, began at the end of the reign of Thutmose III, many years after the death of the queen. This was a thoughtful political decision, and not a consequence of the pharaoh's blind hatred caused by the subordinate position that he occupied during the reign of Hatshepsut. The reason for the destruction of images and inscriptions was the desire to eliminate a precedent that would complicate the succession to the throne, in which a woman could become a pharaoh. Moreover, before the eyes of Thutmose III, the heirs to the throne were growing up and he did not want to repeat the situation that arose after the death of Thutmose I and Thutmose II, who did not leave behind adult sons. It was necessary to exclude the possibility of transferring power to the queen or princess. Thus, the power of the pharaoh achieved by Hatshepsut was just an episode and did not lead to the fact that women had the right to fight for power over Egypt."

Two tombs prepared by Hatshepsut in advance have survived. The first was carved at Wadi Sikket Taqa el-Zeid during Hatshepsut's tenure as queen and regent, but this tomb was never used, although a quartzite sarcophagus was discovered inside it. The second tomb, intended for Hatshepsut the pharaoh, is located in the Valley of the Kings - the traditional burial place of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom era, starting with Thutmose I. However, Hatshepsut’s mummy was not found there either. The identification of the body of the great Hatshepsut with the nameless female mummy from the tomb of the queen’s nurse seems controversial.

When scientists discovered the tomb of the glorious female pharaoh Hatshepsut in 1903, they discovered that the tomb was empty. After some time, two mummies were found in one of the rooms nearby - one in a coffin and one just on the floor. Archaeologists considered the mummy in the coffin (and it turned out to be Hatshepsut's nanny) more valuable and took it with them, and the second one - without any decorations or expensive clothes - remained there until it was discovered again in our century. Archaeologist Zahi Hawass, having come across it again, realized that the mummy was not as simple as it seemed to his predecessors. He noticed that the left hand was pressed to the heart - only pharaohs and their wives were buried this way during the 18th dynasty.
Is it really Hatshepsut? But how can you check this? Hawass remembered that in 1880 they found a box with a tooth of Hatshepsut, maybe ask a dentist to make a comparison? And indeed, the found tooth fit perfectly into the place of the lost one.

Genetic testing confirmed that this is the famous Pharaoh Hatshepsut.

A female pharaoh of ancient Egypt from the 18th dynasty, who managed to restore Egypt after the Hyksos attack, and also built many monuments in Egypt. She is one of the first female queens and ranks with the most famous women in world history, as well as with the most famous rulers of Egypt

According to historical information, Queen Hatshepsut reigned for 21 years and 9 months

Modern research has proven that the queen ruled in 1490/1489-1468 BC. e. But an error of 10 years is possible; this cannot be determined accurately. She was the daughter of the third pharaoh of the XVIII dynasty, Thutmose I and Queen Ahmes, and became the “Wife of God” - the high priestess of the god Amun

Hatshepsut had only one sister, as well as three half-brothers. The fact that she became a pharaoh is explained by researchers as her strong character and influence on Thutmose II
Relief from the "Red Sanctuary" at the Temple of Karnak, depicting Hatshepsut next to Thutmose III.

It is known for certain that after the death of Thutmose II in 1490 BC. e. 12-year-old Thutmose III was proclaimed pharaoh, and Hatshepsut as his successor. But a few years later, the young pharaoh was removed from power, and Queen Hatshepsut came to the throne. It was believed that she was blessed to power by the god Amun himself.

The photo below shows a sculpture of Hatshepsut at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The queen is depicted with all the symbols of the pharaoh

According to the rules, only a man could be a pharaoh, so Hatshepsut often wore a false beard and men's clothing, but often deviated from this tradition. Her reign came during a period of great prosperity for the Egyptian kingdom, especially in the field of construction, building and restoring many monuments. Only Pharaoh Ramesses II built more than it.

Statue of Ramses II in the Turin Museum

The most famous monument of her period was the magnificent temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri, which took 9 years to build

Granite sphinx with the face of Hatshepsut

Under her, Egypt flourished economically. A fleet was even built that made expeditions to different countries, including the mysterious country of Punt. Frescoes with elements of events from this expedition can be seen in the Temple of Hatshepsut

Scientists have proven that the queen also led military campaigns, including the campaign against Nubia, and also conquered the Sinai Peninsula, Southern Syria and Palestine. Hatshepsut died in 1468 BC. e. Analysis of the mummy showed that she died at the age of 50 from natural diseases

Paired Osiric statues of Hatshepsut in front of the temple at Deir el-Bahri

The queen owned two tombs, but her mummy was not found in either of them, so it was long believed that she was destroyed during the looting of the chamber. But in 2006, the mummy was found in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This mummy was found in a small tomb in the Valley of the Kings and transported to Cairo in 1906, believed to be the mummy of Sat-Ra, the queen's nurse.
Pictured is the mummy of Hatshepsut:

The queen's mummy was identified through complex genetic analysis using a tooth found in a casket with an image of Hatshepsut. The discovery of this mummy is considered the most important discovery in the Valley of the Kings, after the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun

The study of the mummy was financed by the American Discovery Channel, which produced a documentary film on this topic in 2007, which is definitely worth watching

Hatshepsut was not the first and only female pharaoh in the history of Egypt, which was traditionally ruled by men. Long before Hatshepsut, only two women ruled Egypt: Neitikert at the end of the 6th dynasty and Nefrusebek at the end of the 12th dynasty (1). However, unlike Hatshepsut, these queens, representatives of fading dynasties, reigned for only a short time. Hatshepsut gained power over a prosperous power, whose international authority was confirmed by military campaigns in Asia and Nubia under the queen’s immediate predecessors, Amenhotep! (1551-1524 BC) and Thutmose! (1524-1518 BC).

Any attempt to oppose the traditional concept of kingship could end tragically, even for such an ambitious and politically astute woman as Hatshepsut apparently was.

Her father, Thutmose I, was distinguished by great belligerence, his successful military campaigns in Nubia and Asia testified to his desire to expand the borders of Egypt and create a kind of intermediate zone between Egypt and the hostile kingdom of Mitanni in the northeast. After Thutmose I, almost all the pharaohs of the XVIII-XIX dynasties tried to advance the border of their possessions to the Euphrates River, on the banks of which he erected a memorial stele. In addition to carrying out predatory purposes, the campaigns of the pharaohs at the beginning of the New Kingdom were supposed to ensure the safety of Egypt from invasions from the north. However, despite the aggressive aggressive policy of the Egyptians, this period of the history of Ancient Egypt was relatively peaceful when compared with the times of the pharaohs Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, who reigned immediately after Hatshepsut within the same dynasty. The consequence of successful campaigns was expanded temple construction in the capital of Thebes (Uaset). The attention of the victorious pharaohs was primarily focused on the main sanctuary of the city, the Karnak Temple (Ipet - Sut), dedicated to the king of the gods Amon, the patron saint of the pharaohs who ruled in Thebes and the power they created. Of course, large-scale construction would have been impossible without the economic rise of Egypt, caused by the influx of booty from the conquered peoples. Thutmose I directed his main forces to the exaltation of the temple of Amun in Karnak, which corresponded to the policy of the pharaohs, who sought to give Thebes the features of an unusual, victorious city in which a powerful deity was present.

When Thutmose I died, power passed to Thutmose II (1518 -1504 BC). From his marriage to Queen Ahmes, Thutmose had two daughters - Hatshepsut and Nephrubiti, who died early. From his second wife, Mutnofret, he also had three sons, one of whom was Thutmose II, who became the heir. Thutmose was married to Hatshepsut (2).

Hatshepsut was between 15 and 20 years old at that time. It cannot be stated with certainty whether she was married to Thutmose II before her father's death. In any case, now she was the “great royal wife.” The reign of Thutmose II is practically shrouded in darkness; According to some sources, he ruled for 3 years, according to others, 14 years (!). It is known that he tried to pursue a policy of conquest, both in the south and in the north. Weak in health, Thutmose II died, leaving behind in power the young son Thutmose III from his side wife Iset and the experienced queen Hatshepsut, who was, apparently, older than her husband. Since Thutmose III was too young to rule on his own, Hatshepsut assumed the duties of regent, perhaps from the very beginning wanting to assume full power for herself. There are many opinions and interpretations among Egyptologists about when and how Hatshepsut managed to achieve her goal. Did this happen naturally or as a result of court struggle? Was it usurpation or co-ruling between aunt and nephew? It is not even known more or less precisely how old Hatshepsut and Thutmose III were when the latter found himself under the tutelage of his aunt-stepmother. Clarification of this issue is further complicated by the relativity of the dates of Egyptian chronology, which are very arbitrary in relation to modern chronology, not to mention the fact that, due to the scarcity of sources, it is sometimes not even known how many years a particular pharaoh reigned. As for the reign dates accepted by the author, they are taken from the monograph of P. Clayton (3) and seem quite convincing, although there are other chronological options.

About this period, the court architect Ineni wrote: “His son (Thutmose II) took his place as king of the Two Lands (5). He began to rule on the throne of the one who conceived him. His sister, the wife of God (6) Hatshepsut, took care of the country. Both Earths (lived) according to her plans, worked for her, Egypt - with great zeal! The useful seed of God (that is, Hatshepsut) came out of him! The bow rope of the South, the mooring stake of the Southerners, the stern rope of this excellent land of the North. Mistress of orders, excellent in her plans; she, according to whose speech, Both Banks (that is, Egypt) are constantly satisfied” (7).

However, everything soon changed when Hatshepsut gained the support of influential nobles at court. She completely concentrated the government of the country in her hands, leaving only secondary functions to her nephew. This political step was not accompanied by any shocks: neither hostility between opposing parties, nor civil war. However, Hatshepsut could only take such a step with the support of loyal and, no doubt, interested dignitaries, the most significant of whom were Hapuseneb and Senmut. It must be assumed that the queen quite dramatically changed her environment, leaving the old nobles - the military men of Thutmose I. Perhaps Hatshepsut sought to change the previous expansionist policy of the pharaohs. At least during her reign, Egypt did not wage wars of conquest. Even in the 2nd year of the reign of Thutmose III, the oracle of the god Amun predicted Hatshepsut's power (though without indicating when this would happen). One way or another, the true reasons for this decision are, unfortunately, unclear. All the more strange is the fact that she became a pharaoh in full only five years later, that is, in the 7th year of the reign of Thutmose III and her regency.

To confirm his new position, Hatshepsut orders to depict himself in the guise of a male king with all the insignia of pharaonic power. The ancient royal title was redone taking into account the gender of the ruler. According to religious tradition, the ruling pharaoh was identified with the god Horus, but Hatshepsut was often called the female Horus (!), which clearly contradicted the Egyptian ideas about the pharaoh. In sculpture and reliefs from the period of autocratic rule, Hatshepsut appears in male attire, and her appearance is depicted in accordance with the canon of depictions of the male body, with the exception of the few early statues of the queen that have come down to us.

Hatshepsut's true appearance is not easy to establish. Usually the pharaoh was considered eternally young and strong and, based on this, Egyptian artists created a rather conventional, symbolic portrait of the ruler, so it is very difficult to judge the actual character traits of the person depicted. However, you can try to recreate the portrait of Hatshepsut: a graceful oval face tapering towards a small chin, almond-shaped eyes distinctive for an Egyptian woman, a thin protruding nose, narrow slightly smiling lips and long black hair. However, we should not forget that the sculptures embodied the Queen’s Ka (8), and were not a realistic portrait of the Roman type.

When Hatshepsut became pharaoh, the priests of Amon created a propaganda text about the election Hatshepsut was the heir of Thutmose I, and the legend about her divine origin from Queen Ahmes and the king of the gods Amun, who took the form of Pharaoh Thutmose I.

new, previously unknown, which fully made itself felt in the magnificent temple of Deir el-Bahri” (9). The queen began building this temple, located on the western bank of the Nile, in the 8th year of her reign, shortly after her coronation. Dedicated to the funeral cult of the queen, this sanctuary was supposed to demonstrate her power and greatness. The new temple was likely to capture the imagination of contemporaries. First of all, it was dedicated to Amon and the Queen’s Ka. In addition to the sanctuary of Amun, Ra, Hathor, Anubis and the deified Thutmose I were worshiped in the temple. Decorated with colonnades of porticoes, the terraced temple organically blended into the surrounding rocky landscape of the western bank of the Nile. In addition to elegant polychrome reliefs, the temple had 200 statues, 22 sphinxes, 40 Osiric statues depicting the queen sitting or kneeling, about 120 sphinxes decorated the courtyards and the road (10). The creator of this miracle of Egyptian architecture is considered to be Senmut, a talented architect and major dignitary. He was also one of the organizers of the famous Egyptian expedition to the semi-legendary country of Punt, presumably located on the territory of modern Somalia on the shores of the Gulf of Aden, with which they have maintained trade relations since ancient times. Apparently, Hatshepsut regarded the naval expedition to Punt as one of the most significant events of her reign, worthy of perpetuation. The history of this trading (or rather military trading) expedition is captured in a series of relief scenes in the so-called portico of Punta at Deir el-Bahri. This is the main source telling about the journey to Punt under Hatshepsut. Although the Egyptians had equipped expeditions to this country before, during the era of the Ancient and Middle Kingdoms, the expedition sent by Hatshepsut was much larger and it was the first since the beginning of the New Kingdom after a long break in relations with Punt, which occurred at the end of the Middle Kingdom following the Time of Troubles and capture of Egypt by the Hyksos.

The purpose of the trip to “God’s country” was to establish trade relations and acquire exotic goods: pateras, skins of rare animals, ostriches, feathers, ivory, gold, valuable types of wood and the living trees themselves, transplanted into baskets, and, in particular, incense for temple rituals. This significant event occurred in the 9th year of the reign of Thutmose III, in fact - in the second year of the reign of Hatshepsut - the pharaoh, that is, at the time when the temple in Deir el-Bahri was being built. The expedition members were required to bring living varieties of incense trees to Thebes in order to plant them on artificial terraces and in the courtyard of the temple and, thus, “establish a Punt inside the temple.” “Although the Egyptians arrived in the country of Punt accompanied by military detachments, Punt was not conquered by Egyptian troops. Hatshepsut sent her “royal ambassador” to Punt in exactly the same way as the Egyptian pharaohs sent their ambassadors to independent states” (11). The efforts of the expedition leaders were rewarded with gold; Hatshepsut herself accepted the gifts of Punt, weighing gold and myrrh: “The best myrrh was on all her members, its fragrance (was) the fragrance of God. ...Her skin was, as it were, gilded with light gold, shining, as the stars do, inside the (temple) festive courtyard in front of the whole earth.”

The temple in Deir el-Bahri, this “Egyptian Parthenon”, which became the architectural symbol of Hatshepsut’s reign, was not the only object of her construction activities, which unfolded in various cities of the country: Thebes, Hermopolis, Hermontis, El-Kousa, El-Kab, Armante, Medamude, Kom-Ombo, Ele-fantine, Speos-Artemidos. Hatshepsut apparently attached special significance to the last of these places, dedicating this rock temple near Beni Hassan to the lioness goddess Pakhet. According to religious beliefs, this goddess repelled the attacks of desert spirits. In Hatshepsut’s attention to regional sanctuaries, Yu. Ya. Perepelkin saw the queen’s desire to be friends with the temple nobility, with the local nobility in general. “Local princes have long been the managers of priests in their cities, and often the high priests of local deities” (12).

Hatshepsut's death seems quite sudden. According to Egyptian chronology, she died between the 20th and 22nd years of the reign of Thutmose III. Continuing the tradition of her predecessors, Hatshepsut sent expeditions to mine turquoise in the Sinai, in the area of modern Serabit el-Khadim. A stele from the 20th year of the reign of Thutmose III, installed in the Temple of Hathor in Sinai, contains the name Hatshepsut, which means she was still alive then. However, in the 21st year there were no more mentions of Hatshepsut, and there were none in the 22nd year, when Thutmose III sent the expedition alone; Apparently, by this time he began to rule without Hatshepsut. “Without a doubt, Hatshepsut died, however, we do not know a single document where this would be mentioned” (13). It is traditionally believed that Thutmose III fiercely hated his aunt, who kept him in the background for too long, and after her death he began to hastily erase the memory of her, which in particular was expressed in the destruction of her images and names. For example, the Soviet Egyptologist M.E. Mathieu wrote that “Thutmose III destroyed all the sculptures of Deir el-Bahri so thoroughly that before the excavations no one even thought about their existence. By removing and breaking into pieces dozens of wonderful statues of his hated stepmother-aunt, Thutmose III believed that he was not only erasing the memory of her from the face of the earth and from the memory of his people, but even destroying the afterlife of her soul” (14). The radical reconstruction of the Karnak Temple undertaken by Thutmose III apparently pursued precisely this goal. Perepelkin also shares this almost generally accepted point of view (15). Hatshepsut's old associates found themselves under close surveillance by Thutmose III, and the tombs of some of them, who had died by that time, were destroyed. This is exactly what the actions of Thutmose III look like after the death of the queen. Some domestic and foreign Egyptologists regard these “repressions” as a consequence of Thutmose’s personal hatred of Hatshepsut and a sharp turn in policy, a renewed course to continue the conquests that did not happen under her.

However, the question remains, why Thutmose III not only did not destroy all the images of Hatshepsut, but also did not completely destroy her funeral temple in Deir el-Bahri? It may be recalled that the temple in Deir el-Bahri was dedicated not only to Hatshepsut, but also to other deities and, first of all, to Amon, the god of the most powerful priesthood, with whom Thutmose III could not help but reckon. But in this case, why did the pharaohs (including Thutmose III) without hesitation remodel and destroy the entire suite and halls in the central sanctuary of this god at Karnak? This is exactly what one would expect from the memory-haunting Hatshepsut Thutmose, as he appears to be in some studies.

If the warlike Thutmose really hated his aunt-stepmother, if he wanted to give the name of Hatshepsut into oblivion, then he actually did this only after a significant period of time after her death and very selectively. Most likely, the pharaoh removed the monuments of Hatshepsut not for personal reasons, but was guided by political and religious considerations, since the unnatural existence of a female pharaoh contradicted the worldview of the ancient Egyptians and did not correspond to the idea of a cosmic world order, where everything had its proper place. It is noteworthy that the names and images of Hatshepsut within the iconography of the queen (and not the pharaoh!) remained intact. French Egyptologist C. Jacques believes that “the hatred of Thutmose III exists in the imagination of some Egyptologists. The chipping, erasing, and destruction of images is associated with the pursuit of certain magical goals that cannot yet be satisfactorily explained” (16). Indeed, a number of inscriptions and relief scenes were knocked down in such a strange manner that their outlines remained clearly visible; Jacques attributes these actions to Ramesses II (1279-1212 BC). Perhaps more acceptable is the opinion of Karkovsky, who writes “that the actions to destroy the names and statues of Hatshepsut, as well as other images of her, began at the end of the reign of Thutmose III, many years after the death of the queen. This was a thoughtful political decision, and not a consequence of the pharaoh's blind hatred caused by the subordinate position that he occupied during the reign of Hatshepsut. The reason for the destruction of images and inscriptions was the desire to eliminate a precedent that would complicate the succession to the throne, in which a woman could become a pharaoh. Moreover, before the eyes of Thutmose III, the heirs to the throne were growing up and he did not want to repeat the situation that arose after the death of Thutmose I and Thutmose II, who did not leave behind adult sons. It was necessary to exclude the possibility of transferring power to the queen or princess. Thus, the power of the pharaoh achieved by Hatshepsut was just an episode and did not lead to women having the right to compete for power over Egypt” (17).

Two tombs prepared by Hatshepsut in advance have survived. The first (WA D) was carved at Wadi Sikket Taqa el-Zeid during Hatshepsut's tenure as queen and regent, but this tomb was never used, although a quartzite sarcophagus was discovered inside it. The second tomb, intended for Hatshepsut the pharaoh, is located in the Valley of the Kings (kv 20) - the traditional burial place of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom era, starting with Thutmose I (18). However, the mummy of Hatshepsut was not found there either. The identification of the body of the great Hatshepsut with the nameless female mummy from the tomb of the queen’s nurse seems controversial.

Bolshakov V. A.

The last female pharaoh who lived and ruled at the end of the 19th dynasty, that is, approximately 200 years after Hatshepsut, was Queen Tausert. Her reign was as short-lived as the queens before Hatshepsut.
Geheimnisvolle Konigin atschepsut. Agyptishe Kunst des 15. Jahrhundert v. Chr. Warschau. 1997, S. 20.
CLAYTON P. Chronicle of the Pharaohs. Lnd. 1994.
Geheimnisvolle, S. 22-24
Upper and Lower Egypt
Some women from the royal house of the 18th dynasty had this title. For the first time among the queens, Ahmes-Nefertari wore it. Apparently, it was passed down by inheritance. Hatshepsut also had this title, and she retained it even when she became regent under Thutmose III. But, having become pharaoh, she was forced to transfer it to her daughter from Thutmose II Nefrura, since this title was incompatible with her new position. The understanding of the title "God's Consort" is debatable. For a long time, Egyptologists believed that this title should be understood as the queen-heir, whom the pharaoh had to marry to strengthen his rights to the throne. It was also believed that this title was borne by the queen, the earthly wife of the god Amun, to whom he appeared to make her the mother of the future pharaoh.
Reader on the history of the Ancient East. M. 1963, p. 91.
As one of the complex concepts-elements that, according to the Egyptians, constitute the human essence. It is generally accepted to translate this word as “double,” although there are slightly different interpretations of Ka. Ka is the life force, the “second self” of a person, which was born with him, but did not die after his death. Ka did not depend on a person, but determined his fate. The Ka of the deceased needed food and water to continue its existence; sculptures and relief images were the receptacle for the Ka.
Geheimnisvolle, S. 24.
MATHIEU M. E. Art of Ancient Egypt. M.-L. 1961, p. 232. 237.
AVDIEV V. I. Military history of Ancient Egypt. T. II. M. 1959, p. 52.
History of the Ancient East. The origins of the most ancient class societies and the first centers of slave-owning civilization. Part II. M. 1988, p. 428, 431.
JACQ Chr. Les Egyptiennes. P. 1996, p. 92.
MATHIEU M. E. Uk. cit., p. 249-250.
History of the Ancient East.., p. 434.
JACQ Chr. Op. cit., p. 94.
Geheimnisvolle, S. 27.
For excavations of the tombs of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut, see The Complete Valley of the Kings. Lnd. 1996, pp. 91-95.