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Discover the Queen: Top 13 Fun Facts About Hatshepsut You Never Knew!

illustration of hatshepsut
Get ready to unravel the mysteries and marvel at the lesser-known tidbits surrounding the fascinating life of Hatshepsut, the remarkable female pharaoh who ruled Ancient Egypt with style and grace.

1. LinkedIn Queen of Construction

If Hatshepsut had a LinkedIn profile, her tagline would read "Queen of Construction, Mistress of Monuments, and Pharaoh of Fine Structures": This trailblazing Egyptian ruler made her mark with an array of awe-inspiring building projects, including the breathtaking mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri, which still stands tall and proud today.
Source => nationalgeographic.com

2. Original Queen Who Slayed

Move over, Queen Bey, there's another queen who slayed: Introducing "His Majesty, Herself," Queen Hatshepsut! : As ancient Egypt's original boss lady, Hatshepsut co-ruled alongside her stepson Thutmose III for 22 years, leaving a legacy of wealth, architecture, and unmatched female prowess that stood unrivaled for 1,400 years, until Cleopatra took the stage.
Source => kids.nationalgeographic.com

3. Hatshepsut the Queen Constructor

Move over, Bob the Builder! Hatshepsut "the Queen Constructor" takes the throne: This ancient Egyptian pharaoh not only crashed the male-dominated ruler scene but also went on a massive building spree, commissioning architect Ineni and constructing the Karnak Temple Complex, Red Chapel, Speos Artemidos, and her Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahari – all with a scale and grandeur never seen before by her fellow female pharaoh predecessors.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Spicing Up Reign

Ready to "spice" up your history? Hatshepsut, an ancient Egyptian queen, knew how to make her reign smell like roses—or more accurately, like cinnamon and incense: Hatshepsut led a well-known expedition to the Land of Punt, recorded on her mortuary temple's walls at Deir el-Bahri. This journey not only showcased her diplomatic prowess but also brought back gold, ivory, ebony, incense, aromatic resins, animal skins, live animals, eye-makeup cosmetics, fragrant woods, and cinnamon—talk about a unique shopping list!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Hanging Gardens 2.0

5. Hanging Gardens 2.0

If you thought the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were the height of horticultural haute couture, hold on to your flower crown: Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple in ancient Egypt featured a sophisticated blend of architecture and nature, with terraces possibly filled with groves of myrrh and frankincense trees, masterfully integrated into the surrounding mountainous landscape.
Source => ohiostate.pressbooks.pub

6. Baroque-style Temple

If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it: Hatshepsut constructed a phenomenal mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri that made visitors say "temple-pleased" with its colonnaded architecture and showed off her towering ambitions with a granite obelisk called the Hatshepsut needle.
Source => courses.lumenlearning.com

7. Cross-dressing Pharaoh

In a world where bearding is an Olympic sport: meet Hatshepsut, the cross-dressing pharaoh who leveled up her disguise by sporting a fake beard alongside her royal threads. Slam dunking the patriarchy, she ruled ancient Egypt like a boss: As one of the most accomplished pharaohs in history, she tackled controversy head-on by adopting male titles like King of Upper and Lower Egypt and Lord of the Two Kingdoms – all while letting her facial hair do the talking.
Source => cleopatraegypttours.com

8. Hogwarts & Wonderland Queen

Before she ruled Hogwarts or Wonderland, she brought ancient Egypt to life: Hatshepsut was a trailblazing female pharaoh who sent trading expeditions to distant lands, built awe-inspiring temples, and nurtured prosperity during her reign – so impressive that even Cleopatra and Nefertiti took cues from her. Despite being unceremoniously erased from history, she's a powerful figure who marked her era with sass and determination!
Source => nationalgeographic.com

9. Majestic Buildings Galore

Whoever said "girls just wanna have fun" never met Hatshepsut, because she preferred a grand ol' time of constructing majestic buildings: Ruling as one of ancient Egypt's few female pharaohs, Hatshepsut cemented her legacy with impressive architectural and artistic projects, such as her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri, featuring terraces, a colonnade, and statues of herself sporting a Nemes headdress, now showcased at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Source => metmuseum.org

Beard-free Ruler

10. Beard-free Ruler

Who needs a beard to rule the world when you're a fierce queen like Hatshepsut? Flipping gender norms like ancient Egyptian pancakes, she ruled as if pants were a thing back then: Hatshepsut was one of ancient Egypt's most successful pharaohs, presiding over an extensive construction program and leading her troops into battle. To cement her power, she commissioned statues donning male pharaoh attire, minus the ceremonial beard, proving that she was a woman commanding the same respect as her male counterparts.
Source => metmuseum.org

11. Tinder Profile of a Queen

If Hatshepsut had a Tinder profile, it would read: "Queen of Egypt, loves luxury and good art, super into groundbreaking designs. Swipe right for a great time!" : This mighty pharaoh's reign brought forth an era ridden with unprecedented innovations in art, such as sculpture and decorative crafts, all embodying the economic boom of her epoch. Her pièce de résistance? The mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri - an architectural masterpiece like no other of that age.
Source => metmuseum.org

12. Glass Pyramid Shatterer

Hatshepsut, the original queen bee of architecture, didn't just break the glass pyramid – she built her own majestic temple in ancient Egypt: With the mesmerizing Temple of Deir el-Bahri to her credit, she served up a monumental construction project that still wows as one of the greatest architectural wonders of her time.
Source => history.com

13. Running the World Before Beyoncé

Before Beyoncé even thought about running thе world, there was a queen in ancient Egypt who was the original master of that game: Hatshepsut's reign as the longest reigning female pharaoh lasted a whopping 20 years, during which she put on her hard hat and oversaw the construction of numerous iconic structures, including her famous funerary temple in ancient Thebes, leaving a legacy that still rocks the museum world today.
Source => ocregister.com

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