1. Queen Hatshepsut
Queen Hatshepsut is believed to be the first woman to rule as pharaoh. She was the wife of a pharaoh who died soon after he took power. Hatshepsut then ruled with her stepson, Thutmose III. In 1473 B.C., she declared herself the only ruler. She wore a false beard reserved for pharaohs alone.

2. Punt Expedition
Hatshepsut wanted to make Egypt richer through trade. Her biggest trading expedition crossed the eastern desert to the Red Sea. Large ships sailed south to an African land called Punt (God’s Land). Traders brought back rare herbs, spices, live monkeys, and other exotics. The trading expedition is considered one of the great accomplishments of Hatshepsut’s reign and brought Egypt much wealth and prosperity.

3. Hatshepsut’s Monuments
Like other pharaohs, Hatshepsut was eager to proclaim her glory. One type of monument she erected was the obelisk. An obelisk is a four-sided shaft with a pyramid-shaped top. Hatshepsut had tall obelisks carved from blocks of red granite. On them, artisans used hieroglyphs to record her great deeds. The obelisk seen in these images stands at 93 feet tall and weighs 343 tons.

4. Hatshepsut also had her temple, Djeser-djeseru, built in her honor
Hatshepsut also had her temple, Djeser-djeseru, built in her honor. Her temple took 15 years to construct. It is located in Western Thebes. Archaeologists and historians believe her temple to be one of the earliest forms of “classical architecture”.

5. Erasing History?
Following her death it is believed that Pharaoh Thutmose III began destroying statues and monuments in Hatshepsut’s likeness and honor. There are many reasons as to why this was done including political and personal reasons.
Thutmose III ruled Egypt for 54 years (counting the 22 he served as co-ruler with Hatshepsut). He is considered on of the greatest pharaoh’s in Egyptian history.