THE TOP FIVE...reasons to know about Queen Hatshepsut, the greatest female Pharaoh you've probably never heard of.
Niche, moi?
I’m travelling in Egypt at the moment and it’s been the most unforgettable trip. This post comes to you (somewhat belatedly because of patchy wifi) from a boat in the middle of the Nile - as yet, no sign of Hercule Poirot. Full details of all my recommendations will come in a Substack post soon. In the meantime, please enjoy an Egyptian-themed Top Five about my favourite ancient queen, Hatshepsut. It’s niche, but it shouldn’t be. I’m a History graduate and, to my shame, I’d never heard about Hatshepsut before coming here. Her story has been all but erased from our consciousness, which is why I’m seeking to do my small bit to resurrect it.
Here are some of the reasons you should know about this extraordinary woman.
She was the sixth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt, ruling for approximately 22 years from 1479 BC. She wielded unprecedented power for a woman, initially ruling as regent to her stepson, Thutmose III, who inherited the throne at the age of two, before seizing power for herself. When, on her death, her stepson claimed the throne in his 20s, he sought revenge by ordering that all depictions of her be destroyed. That’s why very few statues of Hatshepsut remain and why, if you look at the hieroglyphics in her temple, her face has often been smashed off the wall.