Hatshepsut begins her reign in Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty; her mortuary temple project at Deir el-Bahri belongs to this broader program of royal building and state cult in Thebes.
Work begins on Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple (Djeser-Djeseru) at Deir el-Bahri, set against the cliffs on the west bank at Thebes and aligned with a long processional approach from a valley temple.
Senenmut, a high official under Hatshepsut, is closely associated with her building program at Deir el-Bahri and is frequently identified in modern scholarship as the key figure connected with the temple’s design and execution.
The mortuary temple develops as a terraced complex with colonnaded porticoes, ramps, and dedicated sacred spaces (including chapels/shrines such as those associated with Hathor and Amun), integrating architecture and relief programs into a unified ceremonial setting.
After Hatshepsut’s reign ends, the mortuary temple remains part of the Theban ritual landscape, built to support ongoing offerings and festivals connected with royal mortuary cult and Amun worship.
A mortuary temple for Thutmose III (Djeser-akhet) is constructed in the Deir el-Bahri valley later in the Eighteenth Dynasty, visually and topographically dominating earlier structures in the bay, including Hatshepsut’s temple.
In late antiquity, a Coptic monastery dedicated to Saint Phoibammon is constructed on the temple grounds, and Christian imagery is painted over some original reliefs—an important phase of reuse that also contributed to later burial and obscuring of parts of the monument.
The site re-enters modern records when the English traveler Richard Pococke visits Deir el-Bahri, an early documentation milestone preceding systematic archaeology.
A major excavation campaign by the Egypt Exploration Fund under Édouard Naville (with Howard Carter as assistant) clears and documents the temple; Naville’s multi-volume publication becomes a foundational reference for the monument.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Egyptian Expedition expands its long-term archaeological work in western Thebes, including major efforts on the temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri in the early 20th century.
A reconstruction program led by Émile Baraize for the Egyptian Antiquities Service rebuilds significant portions of the temple, shaping much of the visitor-visible architecture in the modern era.
During the Met’s work at Deir el-Bahri, excavators uncover foundation deposits associated with Hatshepsut’s funerary temple, including large groups of scarabs and stamp-seals tied to the building’s dedication and royal titulary.
The Polish-Egyptian Archaeological and Conservation Expedition is established and begins long-term conservation and research at Hatshepsut’s temple, a major sustained effort in stabilization, restoration, and scholarly documentation.
As conservation progresses, additional parts of the complex are incrementally reopened (e.g., selected courts/terraces and major cult spaces), reflecting a shift from purely archaeological recovery toward managed public access.
The Polish mission reports a ceremonial opening of two additional rooms within the temple complex, marking continued conservation and interpretation work in the 21st century.
Egypt announces discoveries near the causeway of Hatshepsut’s funerary temple at Deir el-Bahri, including tombs/burials and material from multiple periods—evidence of long-term reuse and complex stratigraphy around the temple’s processional landscape.
Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahri (c. 1479–1458 BCE)
