Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut (c. 1507–1458 BCE) was one of ancient Egypt's most successful rulers and only its second confirmed female pharaoh. Ruling first as regent for her stepson Thutmose III, she assumed the full pharaonic titulary and had herself depicted as male in statuary and reliefs. She directed a celebrated trading expedition to the land of Punt, built the magnificent mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari, and commissioned extensive construction at Karnak. After her death, Thutmose III ordered her images and cartouches systematically erased — an act of damnatio memoriae whose motive remains debated.
- Lived: 1507 BCE – 1458 BCE
- Nationality: egyptian
- Roles: pharaoh, regent, builder, diplomat
