Our guide is a good one. When hearing I got a bad leg, he asked the tourist police by the entrance, to let us in directly without having to walk through the whole bazaar area. We thanked him profusely and was at once at the "taf-taf-"trains which take visitors up to the temple proper. It´s a very long way to walk in the heat otherwize.

The little HetHert chapel clings to the southern side close to the cliffs.

Probably, no matter which time of the year, the bay of cliffs at Deir el-Bahari is formed to collect all the warmth the sun can give. It was nearly as hot this day, as it had been a whole month earlier at our last visit. We made a point of going straight to those parts which we had missed last time: the HetHert temple and the Punt Frieze. Yes I am ashamed to admit it - we did miss it because we were running out of time. An important issue - if you go, make absolutely sure you have plenty of time - everywhere!

HetHert in the form of a cow.

The little HetHert temple which is located at the southern end of the Second Terrace must have been a very pretty place. Still today, the walls show several beautiful reliefs of HetHert in the form of a cow, and the head of the goddess graces the top of several pillars in the small court.

The face of HetHert (Hathor) with a sistrum above her head, on top of every pillar in this smal chapel .	Hatshepsut in the form of the Living Horus wearing the Double Crown on the other side of the pillars.
A closeup on the falcon. A cobra with the sundisc and ankh soars behind him.	Closeup on the face of HetHert. Some original paint is left.

On the northern wall rows and rows of soldiers parade in honor of the goddess. They carry weapons: shields and spears and clubs and one of them is bringing a panther. There are scenes of battling men, dressed in foreign clothes and wigs. Many carry green branches together with battleaxes and a standard or two is also there, possibly it´s Wepwawet, the Opener of the Way, which might be brought in this procession. These reliefs are among the finest quality, the figures appear unusually alive, caught in a fleeting movement with a raised arm, a turned head.

The Punt Portico, depicting Hatshpesut´s expedition to the mythical land of Punt, was much more worn and damaged than I had thought. All the images I have seen show colors but they were very faint in reality. I wonder if that has happened during the last years. The reliefs were brilliant nevertheless, what can be seen of them. It definitively makes thing easier if you have seen pictures of reconstructions beforehand. But is is anyhow quite possible to see the famous reliefs of the ship from Punt being unloaded, and the foreign trees which were brought home to Egypt in big pots. It was probably just trees such as these depicted ones, which once lined the acess to the temple.

A hut on poles in the Land of Punt depicted among palms and trees, near the water´s edge.

Punt was an unidentifiable land, believed to have been situated in eastern Eritrea or Sudan. All throughout history, it was important for the trade of Egypt. and many are the kings who made expeditions there, not only Hatshepsut. Many things, like gold, ivory, incense, animal skins, ebony were brought from there.

Trees brought in pots from Punt, now lacking almost all trace of color.

These were the only fairly well preserved motifs, located near a corner well protected from sun and desert winds. Right: Soldiers saluting the queen of Punt. Left: Trees being taken to Egypt. What about the Obese Queen, you say - well that particular relief was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it had been taken out to be renovated, let´s hope for that.

Just as faded is the Birth Portico but interesting nevertheless. Somed unusual scenes are depicted, among them a series of Hatshepsut as a small child being presented by deities to Amun.

The colums in this portico are decorated with Hatshepsut wearing various crowns, before Amun.
On this one she wears the same feathered headdress as her "father" Amun, to make it clear whose daughter she is.

If the porticoes on the second level are void of color, then that can´t be said of the lower Anubis chapel. It was just as crowded this time too, but how could we not stop there and take more photos, just look at these details. They are all from the lower portico, northern end, the Anubis chapel:

More photos from Deir el-Bahari.

The topmost terrace seemed the same as last time. It seems to be a great target for school excursions for the temple was flooded with them, on all the various levels. I remember it was the same at our first visit two years ago. Egyptian school kids come in large groups, especially the younger ones often dressed in school uniforms. Little girls with neatly tied or braided hair, they all love to greet people who are tourists and their shouts of "Hellohowareyou!" flood over you, followed by much giggling and squirming.

A portal in the center of the upper court.
This one came out better than the same pic two years ago!


A somewhat wider view towards the south. You can bet that right outside the photo, dozens of little school children mill about.

Queen Hatshepsut´s Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahri is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places you can see in Egypt. the architecture is unusual, the reliefs too, and the whole setting is bound to make an impact on you, encased as it is against the harsh rocks. The whole area breathes nothing but heaven, rock and sand. Only far out by th horizon you can glimpse a vague streak of greenery which is the fertile land near the river. It appears just as it was thousands of years ago even today. The temple lies bathing in the sunlight, the walls are warm and light, the stone seems to weightless somehow. You want to shield your eyes for here is light everywhere. It reflects off the outer walls and makes a golden glow under the porticoes. You bathe in warmth and light and you feel like being suspended somewhere above the ground, close enough to the sky to touch it. The place was rightly given the name: "The Purest Place".

We didn´t spend a whole lot of time here, though the place is magnificent and one of the most beautiful of all the ancient places. We had at least three more places to do before the day was over and time goes too quickly. Next stop would be the Valley of the Queens. Alas no cameras are allowed inside the tombs and why we didn´t think of taking a pic of the overall site, i cannot understand. Probably we were talking so much that we forgot all about it! Instead, But on the way over there, something is going on.

Frieze of Ankh- , Djed- and Was signs from Hatshepsut´s Mortuary Temple