What is a Mortuary Temple?
Mortuary temples were temples that were erected adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, royal tombs in Ancient Egypt. In this case, Hatshepsut’s tomb in The Valley of the Kings. The temples were designed to commemorate the reign of the Pharaoh under whom they were constructed, as well as for use by the king’s cult after death. Some refer to these temples as a “cenotaph”.
More on Hatshepsut
- First female ruler of ancient Egypt to reign as a male, with the full authority of a male
- Her name means “Foremost of Noble Women”
- She was most well-known for extending Egyptian trade and ambitious building projects
- She wanted to be depicted as a male in many sculptures and images
- She was only the 3rd women to become Pharaoh in 3,000 years of Ancient Egyptian history
- She is likened to Cleopatra who ruled 14 centuries later!
She is a fascinating and powerful women – the perfect women to do a Valentine’s Day post about this year – because of her sheer resilience and strength. She is a great role model, and learning about her role in ancient Egypt has been most enlightening!
Interested in Ancient Egypt? More blog posts in my portfolio here.
Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple lies about 7 hours south of the Saqarra Necropolis. During the periods after the New Kingdom, when several cities in the Delta served as capital of Egypt, Saqqara remained in use as a burial ground for nobles. Moreover, the area became an important destination for pilgrims to a number of cult centres.
