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The rock-cut temple is 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) into the desert
beyond Bani Hassan.
It was built by Queen Hatshepsut
and is dedicated to goddess Pakhet .
The inscriptions of the temple is generally in a bad state
of preservation.
On the facade of the temple, Hatshepsut claimed responsbility
for rebuilding Egypt after the destruction befallen on it
as a result of the rule of the Hyksos
who were expelled from Egypt more than 50 years before her
reign.
Though the temple was built by Queen Hatshepsut, both Thutmose
III and Seti
I added their names and contributed to the building.
The temple has a vestibule (See Image 3) with four square
columns making the 15-meter-wide facade of the temple. The
columns were left unfinished as it was planned that they have
Hathor
capitals at exterior and Osirid capitals to the interior.
Despite that, cartouches
of the Thutmose III and Seti I (See Image 1).
There is a passage way in the middle of the court that leads
to a sanctuary which contained a niche
carved by Seti I (See Image 4). The inscriptions in the sanctuary
is more weary yet there are some Greek and Coptic
graffiti.
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