"I am Pharaoh Hatshepsut, ruler of all Egypt, and the life giving Nile. From the first dynasty until now, I am Egypt. From the pyramids built by Dzoser and Khufu, my ancestors, I am Hatshepsut. As you have requested, I will tell you a little about myself.
I was born in 1520 B.C. to Pharaoh Thutmose I and Queen Ahmose. My father extended Egypt’s boundaries into Syria, Nubia, and Palestine. When he died, he was the first to be buried in an underground tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Since my Half-Brother Thutmose II did not have a wife, he had to be married before he could become king. I was given to him as his wife.
When my husband died in 1490, I had 2 daughters, but not a son. Pharaoh had a son by another wife, Isis. His name is Thutmose III. Since he was too young to rule at the time, I became his Regent, or temporary ruler. After a few years, and with the help of the priests, I crowned myself Pharaoh. Since Egyptians believe that Pharaohs are divine, I justified my role by claiming I was the Daughter of Amun, King of all other gods.
During my reign I maintained peace and prosperity. I added to the temple of Amun at Karnak, Which is close to Thebes, I Built a grand Mortuary temple at Dier El-Bahri with the help of the Architect Senemut, and I sent an expedition to the land of punt, which is somewhere on the N.E. coast of Africa. I recorded my expedition on the walls of my mortuary temple.
In my monuments I am depicted as a male Pharaoh, with a false beard and kilt.
After 22 years of ruling, I disappeared. Some say I was murdered by my Jealous Stepson, I died of old age, or some say I handed the kingdom back to Thutmose.
After I died, Thutmose III Destroyed my monuments. He Defaced my paintings and Carvings, Toppled my statues, and Removed my Cartouche and Replaced it with His Own!
In 1903 A.D. The English Archaeologist Howard Carter, who also discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen, Discovered my mummy. In the tomb he found 2 mummies, That of my nurse, which was in a coffin, and mine. He thought the tomb was unimportant, so he closed it. In 1906 it was rediscovered, and the mummy of my nurse was removed. In 1989 my mummy was removed. In this tomb they also found the face form the front of a coffin. The Beard was hacked off and the face resembled that of mine on other statues. This is how they knew it was my mummy.
The hot climate in Egypt helps preserve mummies. This is why many have survived to your present day. Chemical preservation wasn’t discovered until the 4th dynasty, before that they just put the body in a pit and filled it with sand. When they saw how the sand kept the moisture away from the body, they invented chemical mummification, by Natron, which is a naturally occurring substance like salt. This is how my mummy was preserved.
You may be familiar with one of my famous relatives, The son of Akhenaten, Pharaoh Tutankhamen, my great, great, great, great Grandson. He started ruling when he was only 9 years old, and died at the young age of 18. Some think someone who wanted his power murdered him. After he died, he had no Heir, so his vizier, Ay, Became Pharaoh. The Age of Tutankhamen shows how times Change, Thutmose III was said to be too young to rule when he was 12, but Tutankhamen started ruling when he was 9, and nobody thought anything of it.
Thank-you for visiting, I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip, good-bye."
Good books about Hatshepsut that you may want to find if you wish to learn more:
Hatchepsut, by Joyce Tyldesley.
