RR2

                                                     

RR2                                   You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down (in a Cliff side)

The Temple of Hatsheput is a gorgeous representation of an accentuated burial, built to house the remains of the Queen Hatsheput, Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty.   It is a remarkable structure to say the least.
                                                                        

 

(Image found at: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/egypt/images/luxor/hatshepsut/resized/view-c-beck.jpg)

• This tomb was built circa 1500 B.C.E. during the height of Egyptian reign.
• It is located at Deir el Bahari, Egypt, inside the cliff side surrounding the Valley of the Kings.
• Queen Hatshepsut was Pharoah from 1503 until 1482 B.C.E. 

(This image was found at http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=711240500594238492#editor/target=post;postID=8197531383517942893)

As we can see from the photo, this temple was erected directly into the cliff side.  "The entire mortuary temple complex is rooted in the axial and orthogonal traditions of Egyptian geometry and spatial organization.  But it's unique features consists of the way Senmut integrated the terraces into the horizontal layers of the cliff, with the vertical lines of the colonnades echoing the vertical weathered grooves of the cliff faces, making temple and cliff seem to be extension of each other."  (Roth, 202)

• This new form of tomb burial was due mainly to thwart the commonplace looting taking place during this time period.
• Before this style, the imposing visible tombs e.g. Egyptian temples were robbed constantly despite having guards posted. 
• These new forms of tombs helped hide their potential treasures by blending into the mountain sides while still containing pleasing design techniques.  



(This image was found at http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=tomb+of+hatshepsut&view=detail&id=ADF192FB9A8C4F070B2A0AE1D3A0980564B89C8E&first=0&qpvt=tomb+of+hatshepsut&FORM=IDFRIR

• Here we can see two elemental design styles: groups and stacks.
• The stacks can be seen from the layers built on top of each other raising heavenward.  This is also seen in the multiple steps built onto the structure as well.
• The mountains behind it also act as an extension of this stack design. 
• This stack design can also be considered for possible fortification purposes. 
• The other major design style here are the columns built into the stacks which give structural integrity with the presence of vertical integration.

This tomb built for Queen Hatshepsut was a unique design and predecessor for many to follow.  She was considered worthy of this for many reasons but the main one being her expedition to the Land of Punt, now modern day Somalia, though our authors Roth and Ching have conflicting purposes for this expedition.  Roth claims the trip was out of need for myrrh trees for their oil, while Ching contends the expedition was to serve the purpose of acquiring frankincense trees for their oil.  (Ching, 107/ Roth, 202)

*Roth, Leland M.. Understanding Architecture:  Its Elements, History and Meaning.  New York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993. Print.
Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print.