Dendera and The Magnificent Temple of Hathor

The city of Dendera is located on the west bank of the Nile, about 60 km (37.3 miles) to the north of Luxor. It is said to mark an old holy place. There is evidence for religious structures built at the site during the reign of the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Pepi I (c 2250 BC), as well as remnants of a temple that was built during the 18^th Dynasty, in the New Kingdom. Today, Dendera is most famous for the Dendera Temple Complex, one of the best-preserved temple sites from Upper Egypt.

The Dendera Temple Complex dates to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods with existing structures first constructed under Ptolemy Auletes in 54 BC. Like the native Egyptian pharaohs before them, the Ptolemaic and Roman rulers of Egypt used the temple complex as a means of propaganda, and to showcase their piety towards the gods of Egypt.

The Dendera Temple Complex covers an area of 40,000 square meters (430,556 sq. ft.) and is surrounded by a large mudbrick wall. Within this enclosure are various structures, including the Temple of the Birth of Isis, a Roman chapel, a sanatorium, and a sacred lake. But the most impressive part of the temple complex is undoubtedly the Temple of Hathor.

Hathor was a major goddess in the ancient Egyptian pantheon who personified the principles of joy, feminine love, and motherhood, and her cult center was at Dendera. Hathor was also regarded as a goddess of healing, and this is evident in the presence of a sanatorium in the temple complex. The Temple of Hathor is visually stunning with its grand entrance, detailed carvings, hieroglyphs, and decorated ceilings. A highlight for tourists is the Dendera light, a relief carving that has attracted controversy due to its close resemblance to an electric light bulb.

The Temple of Hathor, Dendera. Source: abrilla / Adobe Stock

When Christianity became the dominant religion in Egypt, a Christian basilica was built in the temple complex. Eventually, the complex was completely abandoned as a place of worship. When scholars who accompanied Napoleon during his campaign in Egypt first visited the site, they found a centuries old Arab village in the complex.