The Pharoah Queen

Sham S. Misri

Long long ago, a baby girl was born to Queen Ahmose, the wife of Pharoah Tuthmosis I. The Pharoah was the supreme ruler of ancient Egypt, which was a  powerful and rich empire then. Queen Ahmose named her daughter Hatshepsut, a name that meant “the foremost of noble ladies”

Young Hatshepsut lived in a palace, and had many servants. These servants would take care of the princess. During the day she played with her dolls , and sometimes visited her father’s private zoo. As she grew older she attended dinner parties with her parents . The guests would be entertained by the dancers, the musicians, and the acrobats there.  She also took part in the religious festivals and watched special processions  from the palace balconies.

When Hatshepsut’s father died , her life changed dramatically. She was married to her half brother Tuthmosis II,  who had become the new Pharorah of Egypt. In time, Hatshepsut , now the queen of Egypt, gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Neferure.

When Tuthmosis II died, Queen Hatshepsut became the Pharorah  of Egypt.  Because it was unusual for a woman to be the king , she was usually shown in wall paintings and carvings wearing a false beard and men’s clothing.

During Hatshepsut’s reign of twenty two years , she directed the building of many monuments and organized  an ambitious   expedition to a land far down the east coast of Africa. When she died ,her mummified body  was laid to rest in the Valley of the Kings instead of the tomb that had originally been prepared for her when she was only a queen.