Hatshepsut Essay

Temple of Hatshepsut The Temple of Hatshepsut is made of limestone which positively affects this piece because most funerary temples were made of sandstone making it stand out. One of the great things about limestone is that it is a softer material making it easier to use and creates a natural color which fits right into the theme of Hatshepsut’s temple. As easy and cheap it was to use limestone, it is not stable enough to preserve its shape and color as long as other materials. This eventually led to the piece being altered many times due past Pharaohs like Akhenaten and King Tut who has damaged it during their rule. The monument was completed in 1470 BCE but during the Ptolemaic period it was restored, and then again during the 90’s. It is approximately 97 feet tall and is still standing today in Deir el Bahari, Egypt. Hatshepsut’s temple was built …show more content…
It was apart of the egyptian belief system that these temple sheltered who you were in order for your name to never be forgotten which meant living forever. This explains the reason why Hatshepsut’s name was attempted to be erased by the Pharaoh who led after her. He wanted to curse her by wanting people to forget who she was and ending her eternal life by erasing who she was from history. The Taj Mahal can be compared to the Temple of Hatshepsut because both stand today for the remembrance of one's life. Just like the relationship between Hatshepsut and Senenmut, the relationship of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal is symbolized by the building. Sharing similar meanings, both monuments display an astonishing view of symmetry and parallelism through its shape and form. In contrast, the Taj Mahal was built to be noticed. It’s use of white marble wanted to seen opposing to the limestone used for the Temple of hatshepsut where it almost blends into the cliffs behind it making it look as though