Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I and Queen Ahmose. She married her half-brother, Thutmose II, who had a son, Thutmose III, by another of his wives. When Thutmose II died in 1479 BC his son, Thutmose III, was too young to become pharaoh and Hatshepsut was appointed to rule jointly. However, in 1473 she decided that she would rule alone and she was supported in this by the High Priest.

Because pharaohs were supposed to be men, Hatshepsut dressed like a man when holding court, but she still wore perfume and make-up like a woman.

Hatshepsut was responsible for building the obelisks in the temples, a design that had never been used before. She also built a magnificent temple near the Valley of the Kings.

We do not know what happened to Hatshepsut after 1458 BC because she suddenly disappears from the records, and Thutmose III takes over as pharaoh.

Thutmose III had as many of Hatshepsut's shrines, statues and reliefs hacked away as he could find, and removed her name from the lists of pharaohs.

But the obelisks were sacred monuments, and he could not have them defaced. So, instead, he had brick walls built around them.