The celebrated temple of Hatshepsut (c.1473–1458 BC), the queen who became pharaoh, is located here, in Deir al-Bahari, on the west bank of Luxor. Composed of three man-made terraces that gradually rise up toward the sheer cliff face, this structure is truly a sight to behold.
The site of Deir al-Bahari was sacred to Hathor, the goddess who nursed and reared every king, including their mythological ancestor, the god Horus, in Egypt’s primordial past. A manifestation of this goddess was believed to reside in the very hills under whose shadow lies the temple of Hatshepsut, and just on the other side of which is the site of the tombs of some of ancient Egypt’s most famous rulers, the Valley of the Kings. Stelae bearing prayers to Hathor depict her, in cow form, emerging from these mountains. This impressive geological formation features a summit that is naturally pyramid-shaped.