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In crossing the Muslim world from Jordan to Egypt we rarely heard the ancient histories speak of female rulers but, in the land of pharaohs, Hatshepsut changed all that.

Statues of the Egyptian queen guard her mummy in a museum in Cairo.

Hatshepsut was the half-sister and primary consort of Thutmosis II, who ruled Egypt during the 18th Dynasty, which lasted from 1550-1292 BC, and when he died she assumed the power - quite contrary to a tradition barring women from the absolute throne.

"Hatshepsut and Thutmosis didn't have a son," historian Songyote Waeohongsa told his flock of Thai journalists in front of one of her statues in the museum.

"Initially she acted as regent for the young Thutmosis III, who was the son of the lesser queen, Isis, and then she was his co-ruler. But she later got rid of the young man, sending him off to war."

The statue has male attributes, including a beard, but the facial features are distinctly feminine.

Queen Hatshepsut assumed the male title "King of Upper and Lower Egypt" and proclaimed herself pharaoh. She remained in power for 21 years.

Her reign brought prosperity to Egypt, Rather than pursuing military intrigues she concentrated on internal affairs and trading with other regions, including Byblos for its timber and Sinai for its turquoise.

The prosperity was reflected in the kingdom's art. There were innovations in sculpture and the decorative arts, evident in Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri.

When Thutmosis III returned to claim his throne, though, Hatshepsut mysteriously disappeared. He became the greatest of all the pharaohs, but was vengeful toward his former regent, destroying all images of her and removing her name from temple walls.

With Songyote we visited the Royal Mummies Hall, where the remains of Thutmosis II and III and Hatshepsut rest. Next to the queen is another female mummy, identified as Sitre-In, her wet-nurse.

"The mummy of Hatshepsut was just brought to the museum last year," said Songyote. "The circumstances of its discovery were quite controversial."

In 1903 the two women's mummies had been found in the same tomb in the Valley of the Kings. One was removed to the Cairo Museum three years later, and the other left alone.

The archaeologists had made a mistake in deciding which one was Hatshepsut. They brought out the wet-nurse first, and left the queen behind.

Regardless, it was the most important discovery in the Valley of the Kings since Tutankhamun. In June last year, Egypt's culture minister and the Supreme Council of Antiquities made the official announcement of the confirmed identity.

Scans found that Hatshepsut was about 50 when she died. Some Egyptologists believe her mummy might have been switched with that of her wet-nurse to protect it from the wrath of Thutmosis III.

In those times the dead were buried in the desert, on the bank of the Nile River facing the sunset. In Giza we visited the tomb of Mereruka, a nobleman who married the daughter of a Sixth Dynasty pharaoh.

Inscriptions on the walls tell his story, and reveal much about daily life. Mereruka is depicted travelling in a papyrus boat, while his subordinates punish people for failing to paying their taxes.

When you stand in front of the Great Pyramids, you might well wonder how many thousands of slaves toiled to build them. Yet Songyote pointed out that, in recent pronouncements, some scholars have said they were well compensated with food and clothing.

But the scholars also believe the workers went on strike for better pay. If so, Songyote said, it was humanity's first labour dispute!

Our journey to the root of civilisation came to an end in the shadow of the pyramids, but the history of the Islamic World and its effects on Southeast Asia will be discussed further at a symposium on "The Islamic World and Muslim in Southeast Asia" to be held on November 28 and 29 in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Asean Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan will give the keynote speech for a gathering that will examine Muslim women as rulers, warriors, traders and pirates - and as filmmakers.

The symposium is organized by the Foundation for the Promotion of Social Sciences and Humanities Textbooks Project, Toyota Foundation Thailand and Toyota Motors Thailand.

The full programme for "The Islamic World and Muslims in Southeast Asia" is available at http://tinyurl.com/6edyfc or by calling (02) 424 5768 or (02) 433 8713.