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Meaning ‘the northern monastery’, the
tombs and mortuary complex Deir el-Bahri is situated on the
Nile`s West bank and is the place of Hatshepsut mortuary
temple as well as the place of the Nebhepetre Menuhotep II`s
mortuary temple. This temple was the first monument that was
built in Deir el-Bahri. Numerous other buildings were made by
Hatshepsut and Amenhotep I, in the 18th dynasty. Menuhotep II,
from the 11th dynasty, who reunited Egypt at the Middle Kingdom`
s beginning, built his funerary complex in Deir el-Bahri, a very
unusual one facing East, which may mean that it is in connection
with the Re`s sun cult and the king`s resurrection. The
mortuary temple is made from a forecourt and a terrace. The
forecourt is enclosed in its three sides by walls, and the
terrace with a big structure that may symbolize the primeval
mound arising from the chaos` waters. The Hatshepsut`s mortuary
temple is the central point of the Deir el-Bahri complex. It is
known as Djeser-Djeseru which means ‘the Holy of Holies’ and is
a colonnade structure designed by Hatshepsut's architect and
steward, Senemut. The temple was built for the pharaoh` s
posthumous worship and for the Amun` s glory. The temple of
Menuhotep II and the one of Hatshepsut are very different
although the temple of Menuhotep used the model of the
Hatshepsut`s temple. Her temple has three terraces which reach
a height of 30 meters. Each of them is articulated by colonnade–double and made of square piers-except the central entrance` s
North West corner, which has Proto-Doric columns that house the
chapel. Some long ramps make the connection between the three
terraces; these ramps used to have beautiful gardens as their
surroundings. |
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