Thebes - Temple of Deir el-Bahri
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The great Temple of Deir el-Bahri is magnificently situated at the foot of the sheer cliffs fringing the desert hills, the light-colored, almost white, sandstone of the temple standing out prominently against the golden yellow to light brown rocks behind.
History
The temple was built at the beginning of the New Kingdom, in the reign of Queen Hateshepsut, who was at once aunt, stepmother and mother-in-law of Tuthmosis III and Co-ruler with him. It encroached on the court of the 11th Dynasty temple, laid out in terraces and richly adorned with statues, reliefs and inscriptions, which adjoins it on the south, and incorporated architectural elements from that temple. When Tuthmosis III became sole ruler he caused all statues of the Queen to be removed from the temple and had her name and figure erased from all reliefs and inscriptions, replacing them by his own. In the reign of Amenophis IV/Akhenaten the figures and names of the god Amun were obliterated, but they were later restored, rather clumsily, during the reign of Ramesses II. In subsequent centuries the temple suffered little change.
History
The temple was built at the beginning of the New Kingdom, in the reign of Queen Hateshepsut, who was at once aunt, stepmother and mother-in-law of Tuthmosis III and Co-ruler with him. It encroached on the court of the 11th Dynasty temple, laid out in terraces and richly adorned with statues, reliefs and inscriptions, which adjoins it on the south, and incorporated architectural elements from that temple. When Tuthmosis III became sole ruler he caused all statues of the Queen to be removed from the temple and had her name and figure erased from all reliefs and inscriptions, replacing them by his own. In the reign of Amenophis IV/Akhenaten the figures and names of the god Amun were obliterated, but they were later restored, rather clumsily, during the reign of Ramesses II. In subsequent centuries the temple suffered little change.
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