DJESER DJESERU

The mind plays tricks. An embryo of an idea, can be in the mind unrecognised, until that day when it seems to have been there forever, waiting.
This Galleria is such an idea, the outcome of two minds. A project to mature in time as these things do.
Hatshepsut is one of the most haunting of the Egyptian Queen Pharaohs. Perhaps no beauty like the enigmatic Nefertari or Nefertiti, she has however left us tantalising glimpses through time of one of the most striking women in history.
Her exquisite Mortuary Temple lies in the dramatic rock bay of splendid cliffs in the Theban Hills. It was known to the ancients as Djeser Djeseru, Most Holy of Holies. Covering several acres it has been carefully restored over the last fifty years by a joint Polish-Egyptian mission and its archaeological evidence is a revelation of the Queens extraordinary life and times.
Much has been written of her in the halls of Academe and as such there could be little that we would add. However we realised that over several visits we had a significant photo archive that we might use together with our own reading to make a more visual statement with some appeal.
The archive comprises shots of the Temple from the air, the cliff tops and in the terraces and colonnades. We will present her story in workable elements using individual Galleria within Djeser Djeseru. Lenka has uploaded the first three of the sub Galleria, Who Was Hatshepsut,Influences and Senenmut so do drill down. Senenmut may have been Hatshepsuts lover and as we have come to expect this is Wazzas most favoured part of the Galleria.
The workable elements, give us time to spread the work and you gentle viewer will be able to take in the tale in small bites over several visits.
We will portray Hatshepsut and who she was, look at the adjacent Temple of Nebhepetre-Mentuhotep and its possible influence on Her Architect Senenmut, walk the Temple Causeway, and investigate theTerraces and the reliefs within the Colonnades. There may be a romance, an intimate relationship, and some nasty business involving the deliberate destruction of the historical record. We will include Google Earths to locate the site and a few references should you want to explore by yourself.
In addition to Djeser Djeseru Queen Hatshepsut built across the Nile at Karnak and at Luxor and had a tomb ( KV20 ) cut in the Valley of the Kings behind the cliffs.
She has also been in the popular press of late. Her mummy has been identified using CT scanning, DNA testing and inspired detective work at the Egyptian Museum involving one of her teeth. She would have taken this in her stride of course as is her due, along with the Kingly beard she wore at State festivals.
We hope you will enjoy the Djeser Djeseru journey with us as it unfolds.
Lenka and Wazza.
February 2009