Hatshepsut

Hello! My name is Hatshepsut. I lived in a warm, sunny place called Egypt a very, very long time ago. Everything was sandy and bright, and a big river called the Nile flowed right through our home. When I was a little girl, I was a princess. It was so much fun. My father, Thutmose I, was the king, and in Egypt, a king was called a pharaoh. I loved looking at all the amazing, tall buildings he built. They made me feel so small, but I knew one day I wanted to build big things too.

When I grew up, I became the pharaoh! Being pharaoh was a very important job, and usually, only a man could have that job. But I knew I could do it just as well. To show everyone I was strong and a real pharaoh, I even wore a special beard, just like the boy kings did. My favorite thing to do was build. I told my workers to build beautiful, big temples that seemed to reach for the sky. My most favorite one was a special temple at a place called Deir el-Bahri. It was so special because it was built right into the side of a big, rocky cliff.

I also loved big adventures. One time, I sent big boats on a long, long trip to a faraway land called Punt. It was very exciting to wait for them to come back. When they returned, they brought back amazing treasures for me. They had sweet-smelling incense that made the air smell wonderful, and they even brought back whole trees to plant in my gardens. I lived a long and happy life as pharaoh. Today, people can still visit the beautiful temples I built in Egypt, and that is how they remember me, Hatshepsut, the queen who became a king.