If time allows, visitors to Luxor should try to see the renowned Dendera Temple Complex. From Luxor, the trip takes around an hour by cab. In one day, travelers may see both Dendera and Abydos temples on a private trip.
Dendera Temple Complex Location
The Temple is located approximately 4 kilometers from the Nile’s west bank, roughly opposite the city of Qena. Both Coptic and Muslim people live in the capital of the province and governorate of Qena (population – of 2,000,000). This village produces water pots, also known as “Qula” jars in Arabic.
Abdel Raheem El-Kenawi, a Muslim Sheik, lived his entire life in this village. His death in 1170 A.D. marked the beginning of the modern city, and his birthday is commemorated every year. For the festivities, a large number of pilgrims travel from all across Egypt. The name Qena comes from the ancient Egyptian word Qeny, which means “to bend”; the River Nile has a significant (and famous) curve here.
Temple of Hathor: History and Description
Ptolemy VIII and Queen Cleopatra II built the Temple of Hathor in the first century B.C. It is one of Egypt’s best-preserved temples. Later, Roman Emperors decorated it to honor Hathor, the goddess of motherhood, love, and music. The Greeks knew Hathor as Aphrodite.
The Great Hall
The first entrance, built by Roman Emperor Domitian in 80 A.D., leads to the well-preserved great hall. Hathoric columns adorn this hall. These columns feature the face of Hathor. The winged sun disc decorates the upper, front border of the cornice. Stone screens separate the front part from the scene. This scene depicts Roman Emperor Tiberius and other Roman emperors giving gifts to the temple goddess. They mostly show Hathor. Her head wears the horns of a holy cow, which support the sun’s solar disc. She holds an “Ankh,” or life sign, and a scepter.
The great hall’s interior walls have amazing images. They show sacrifices to the temple goddess. The magnificent ceiling is covered in celestial figures. The ceiling is split into seven parts. The following three are the best:
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The first division is on the eastern side. It shows Nut, the goddess of the sky, bending toward the earth. The sun disc beams over the temple and Hathor’s mask.
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A depiction of the sun boat and star goddess appears next to the first.
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The western ceiling shows a flawless portrayal of the zodiac signs. This is one reason for the temple’s popularity. The original zodiac relief is now at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The 12 figures include the celestial twins, the ram, the bull, the crab, the lion, the virgin, the scales, the scorpion, the archer, the goat, the watering pots, and fish with sparkling tails. The hawk-headed deity Horus and the Ibis-headed god Thoth pour holy water over the king on the inner borders of the screen. We call this the baptism scene because it represents life and happiness.
The Second Hall and Sanctuary
Six columns with ornate capitals and stone pedestals decorate the second hall. Small storerooms flank both sides. They were intended to store wine jars imported from Crete and the lush Fayoum and Kharga deserts.
Next, you will find the center chapel. It has two altars. One is for the holy boat, and the other is for offerings to Hathor. The finely sculpted reliefs on the shrine walls depict Ptolemy VIII and other kings dancing with presents for Hathor’s holy boat and her husband Horus. Their names were left blank in the oval cartouches. The king’s representatives, high priests, and a few noblemen used to gather in the vast hall to prepare for daily ceremonies. The ceilings have stars and black soot from the fires of the temple’s later occupants. The chambers around the sanctuary stored the holy boat, the sacred wreath, the golden figure of the Goddess Hathor, and musical instruments for scientific purposes.
Other Temple Features
On the right, a small passage leads to a tiny crypt. This is a fascinating place to explore. The temple’s stairwells, which lead to the roof, have magnificent motifs. These represent the 12 months of the year. The chapel of the deity Osiris is on the roof’s eastern corner. The walls show Osiris rising from the dead to become the deity of the underworld. The greatest representation of the zodiac came from this church.
A large mudbrick wall encircles the whole compound. The complex is 40,000 square meters in size. In antiquity, Dendera was a rich oasis on the banks of the Nile. Pharaoh Pepi I (ca. 2250 BC) seems to have built on this location. The remains of an Eighteenth Dynasty temple may still be seen. The mammisi of Nectanebo II, the last of the native pharaohs (360–343 BC), is the earliest surviving structure in the compound today. The complex also provides various amenities.
Dendera Temple Complex Components:
- Hathor temple (the main temple)
- Temple of the Birth of Isis
- Sacred Lake
- Sanatorium
- Mammisi of Nectanebo II
- Christian Basilica
- Roman Mammisi
- a Barque shrine
- Gateways of Domitian and Trajan
- the Roman Kiosk
Check out our Full-Day Trip to Dendera and Abydos Temples from Luxor
