Hatshepsut Biography

Daughter of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose I, Hatshepsut was the wife and half-sister of Thutmose II. When Thutmose I died and Thutmose II assumed the throne, it was Hatshepsut who in fact held the power. After the death of Thutmose II, she continued to rule by becoming the regent for her stepson, Thutmose III. After several years, Hatshepsut had herself crowned as pharaoh and dressed as a male ruler, including the donning of a false beard. Many of the images of her on temples and monuments depict her as a male ruler. She and the young Thutmose III reigned as joint pharaohs until her death in 1458. Her rule was a peaceful one, and she built and renovated a great number of temples and monuments, most notably her funerary temple, Deir el Bahari in West Thebes. After Thutmose III became sole pharaoh, it is believed he had inscriptions listing her on temples and buildings erased, and ordered that some of her monuments be destroyed.