Apparent depiction of the pharaoh at one of the levels of the mortuary temple, attempting to hide the fact that the pharaoh was female

The mortuary temples built by the Pharaohs were massive and magnificent structures, meant to showcase their power, and to ensure that they were remembered after they had passed away. In the case of the Pharaoh Hatshepsut, there was a problem. The Pharaoh was female, probably the first instance of a lady ruling for any length of time. The statues of the Pharaoh thus added a beard and dulled any depiction of the human female anatomy for these statues.
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