Flourished Circa 1450
Architect

Court Favorite. Few artists and architects left behind clear indications of their work in the form of inscriptions or other evidence, not to mention drawings or statues featuring their faces. One, however, the architect Senmut, attempted to do so by carving small representations of himself and placing them in niches and recesses of the Hathor Chapel, which he built for his queen. Several of the carvings survive. A favorite of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, Senmut was the primary architect of her temple at Deir el Bahari. Senmut had other important duties in her administration, such as royal steward and overseeing the construction of temples, and he also may have been her lover.

Beautiful Temple. The tri-terraced structure of pillars, with grand reliefs and statues inside, was placed against a towering concave cliff and was approached by a lane that had rows of sphinxes...