Upper Colonnade Temple of Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahari

The upper colonnade, on the third level, fronts the third (uppermost) court. Spaced in front of the colonnade are colossal Osirid statues of Hatshepsut, deified as Osiris and greeting the rising dawn. Deceased pharaohs were identified with Osiris as God of the dead, First King of Egypt, and ancestor of all subsequent rulers; these statues symbolize Hatshepsut's eternal, divine kingship.

The upper colonnade is set back only a little ways from the middle colonnade. This design achieves a visually unified facade, with a pleasing proportion of perceived height to depth for the temple as a whole.