Women in Ancient Egypt - The Great Queen Hatshepsut

The Great Queen Hatshepsut 

A true symbol of female power, spirituality, determination, and success, Queen Hatshepsut was born at the dawn of Egypt’s New Kingdom — a sublime era of majestic strength and prosperity. Her reign lasted 22 years, marked by political stability and extraordinary achievements.

(This was a photo from our 2020 Study tour)

The Famous Expedition to Punt One of her greatest accomplishments was the legendary expedition to Punt, a land south of the Red Sea near Bab al-Mandab. She sent her fleet to bring back incense, myrrh, aromatic trees, ebony, ivory, rare animals, and even exotic goods like leopard skins and gold.

When the Egyptian ships arrived, the Prince of Punt, his wife, and their attendants welcomed the expedition with great honor. The ships returned to Egypt laden with treasures — so remarkable that the accompanying texts proudly declared:

“No such thing has been brought to any king who has existed since eternity.”

Some incense trees were even replanted at the entrance of her temple at Deir el-Bahari — traces of which remain today.

A Queen Like No Other In a time when it was rare for a woman to rule — let alone be seen as divine — Hatshepsut strengthened her authority with both political and religious legitimacy. She adopted the traditional five royal titles and often wore male attire and even a ceremonial beard during religious rites to embody the image of Pharaoh.

Her royal titles included:

1. Horus (Wirte-kao): Strong companion

2. Nebti (Wedjat-rabbut): Flourishing for years

3. Horus of Gold (Nirat-Khao): Sanctification of the sunshine

4. Nesu-Bity (Maat-Ka-Ra): Justice is the spirit of Ra

5. Sa-Ra (Khnumet-Amun Hatshepsut): United with Amun, beloved of the nobles

Legacy of Stone and Spirit Hatshepsut is also celebrated for her ambitious building

projects, including obelisks at Karnak Temple and her magnificent funerary temple at Deir el-Bahari — one of Egypt’s most iconic monuments.

Ancient Egypt is full of magic and powerful women. This month, we’ll be celebrating the queens of Egypt — so stay tuned!

And if you’re joining us on our Study Tour to Egypt this year, you’ll stand before Hatshepsut’s breathtaking temple, where her story still lives on through the walls and hieroglyphs.

With love,

Raghda