Hatshepsut was a queen-pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Fifth ruler of that dynasty, she reigned from 1513-1490 BC. She ruled under the name of Maatkara Hatshepsut, and became the longest-serving woman on the throne of the "Two Lands."
Hatshepsut was one of the few women who became pharaoh of Egypt, defying the laws and customs of her time.
Daughter of Thutmose I and Ahmose Nefertari, she married her half-brother Thutmose II, with whom she had a daughter, Neferu-Ra.
When Thutmose II died, she assumed the regency of her stepson Thutmose III, but soon proclaimed herself queen with all the titles and attributes of a pharaoh.
During his reign, he promoted a great program of construction and renovation of temples, obelisks and statues, and made a successful commercial expedition to the land of Punt.
He was depicted with a male body and false beard, and adopted the name Maatkare, which means "Truth is the soul of Ra".
After her death, Thutmose III attempted to erase her memory and destroy her monuments, but could not hide her legacy as one of the most influential rulers in history.
Hatshepsut
