Witnessing the pinnacle of Egyptian construction and mathematical advancements, the Fourth Dynasty marked an epoch in the monumental degree to which the lives of Egyptian personages were celebrated. This era coincided with an increasing desire for ‘spiritual investment’ by the Egyptian priesthood; a motivation by which the pyramids manifested. The beliefs governing this ideology called for a commemorative structure that would enable pharaohs to be united with the Sun God, Ra.1 A successful union between the deceased pharaoh and this deity enabled the former king to perpetuate the well-being of his/her people. Spurred by this conviction, the pyramid stood as a symbol of spiritual ascension by which the deceased could reach the heavens and grant continual welfare to those who served him/her.2 Though the era of pyramidal building met its eventual demise, the forms conceived by Egyptian architects continued to adhere to the theme of ascension. Architects began to utilize the natural cliff faces of the landscape to sculpt the tombs of their pharaohs.2 The Egyptian tombs of both pharaohs Khufu and Hatshepsut, though stylistically manifesting differently, affirm the hierarchical positions of their occupants in that both conceal the preserved remains inside a mountainous form reaching skyward.
With great intention, the stature of Giza’s pyramids stands in striking contrast to the otherwise flat Nile Valley.2 This fact alone affords the pyramids a notable hierarchical stance relative to their surroundings. The unfathomable toils required to complete a structure such as Khufu’s temple (the largest in all of Egypt) marks a paramount point in the history of Egyptian labor assemblage. To complete the tomb, 6 million tons of granite and limestone needed to be quarried and moved. The workforce assembled for this and the other pyramids of Giza was perhaps facilitated by the flooding seasons that left agricultural laborers out of work.1 Beyond the substantial feat of assembling a 481-foot-tall pyramidal mountain, the hierarchical system further permeates the tomb in the composition of chambers and voids therein. Three stacked chambers ascend the interior of the structure; the lowest one excavated from the bedrock of the earth representing the underworld. The intermediate chamber, often mistaken for the ‘Queen’s Chamber’ probably housed an oversized statue of Khufu. The third chamber, hovering above the other two and thus demonstrating the greatest importance, housed the sarcophagus in which Khufu’s body was encapsulated. Lofty corbeled ceilings guide visitors to this chamber in what is known as the Grand Gallery. The passages leading to the lower chambers yield a mere four-foot clearance compared to this 26-foot ascending corridor. Twin shafts extending from the core of this artificial mountain supply ventilation, their orientations aligning with the North Star and Orion’s Constellation. The precision with which these pyramids were oriented contributes to the narrative of the Fourth Dynasty advances.1 Adoring the site was a 50 by 43-meter mortuary temple guarded by 50 columns of granite.3 These hierarchical parameters extend beyond the monument itself; the Pyramids are deliberately situated to the west of the Nile beyond cultivable lands. Egyptian belief held that the eastern bank of the Nile River represented life and beginning; the sun made its morning ascent on the East side of the river. By contrast, the western bank represented the afterlife; the passage across the Nile therefore signified the passing from this life to the next.2
Hatshepsut’s tomb continues this west-bank ideology and also sits at the bitter edge of the cultivable landscape. The temple is therefore affixed to a steep precipice that is otherwise unusable. The location of the site was partially favored for its relative proximity to the Djeseret or ‘Holy Place’; dedicated to Hathor, the mother goddess of love and beauty.3 Though Hatshepsut’s tomb parallels the Pyramids of Giza in architect Senmut’s utilization of heavy masonry for sheltering and upholding the deceased pharaoh, it marks a diversion away from the otherwise customary Egyptian architectural style.4 Derived from forms of the neighboring tomb of Mentuhotep II, Hatshepsut’s burial features dominant horizontal tiers whose composition yields a more concise procession to the sarcophagus.4, These terraces are retained by hard-edged colonnades, of particular resemblance to architecture of the Classical world.5 The verticality inherent of colonnade forms was perhaps an end through which the vertical wear patterns of the adjoining cliff could be highlighted.4 Admitting light through their vertical voids, the colonnades illuminate the pylons lining the processional path within the structure. Eastern morning light casts its rays upon these figures, representative of the eastern Egyptian mountains onto which the ‘divine morning light’ shone. Along with the pylons and colonnade openings, the major axis of the tomb is furnished with a series of sphinxes that guide the visitor to a hypostyle hall of the upper level. The progression continues into the cliff face where ancillary chapels and the sarcophagus are held. This sacred place marks the summit of the long progression of the tomb, a relatively calculated journey from the valley floor of the common man to the pinnacle of the tomb holding the sacred remains of a once-great ruler. Aside from being one of the few female pharaohs in Egypt’s history, Hatshepsut is said to have traveled to Punt (Modern-day Somalia) to obtain myrrh trees for her tomb that would serve as an ‘earthly paradise’ that the newly acquired sun god Amon could enjoy.4
Though the theocratic prowess of the Fourth Dynasty was never matched, ancient Egyptian culture continued thereafter to seek the perpetuation of their beliefs surrounding the Sun God and the critical importance of being united with him.2,4 Despite millennia of age, this importance continues to emanate from the tombs of Khufu and Hatshepsut to this day. These commemorative structures, though wielding different stylistic choices, uphold the ideal of ensuring passage to the next life. Propelled by this religious conviction, these edifices are a wondrous testament to the Egyptians’ ability to organize mass labor forces and guarantee the afterlife their leaders truly deserved.