DAYR AL-BAHRI

also spelled Dair Al-bahri, or Deir El Bahri, Egyptian archaeological site in the necropolis of Thebes. Comprising a bay in the cliffs, it lies on the west bank of the Nile, east of the Valley of the Kings; its name (Arabic for northern monastery) refers to a monastery built there in the 7th century AD. Of the three ancient Egyptian structures on the site, one, the funerary temple of King Mentuhotep II (built c. 1970 BC) has lost much of its superstructure. The second, the terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut (built c. 1470 BC), was uncovered (189496) beneath the monastery ruins and subsequently underwent partial restoration. A fuller restoration of the third terrace, sanctuary, and retaining wall was started in 1968 by a Polish archaeological mission, which also found a third temple built by Thutmose III, in about 1435 BC, above and between the two earlier temples. It had been destroyed by a rockfall in about 1160 BC. All three temples were linked by long causeways to valley temples with docking facilities. Situated against one of the cliffs, Hatshepsut's temple is a famous example of creative architectural exploitation of a site.