Temple of Debod II

Who would have thought there was an Egyptian temple in Spain? Here is the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple found in the Parque del Oest... more

by Joan Carroll

Title

Temple of Debod II

Artist

Joan Carroll

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photograph

Description

Who would have thought there was an Egyptian temple in Spain? Here is the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple found in the Parque del Oest near the Royal Palace in Madrid. It is beautiful and serene on a bright winter day. The temple was originally built 15 km south of Aswan in southern Egypt close to a great religious center dedicated to the goddess Isis. In the early 2nd century BC, Adikhalamani, the Kushite king of Meroe, started its construction by building a small single room chapel dedicated to the god Amun. Later, during the reigns of Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy VIII and Ptolemy XII of the Ptolemaic dynasty, it was extended on all four sides to form a small temple, 12 by 15 metres (39 ft x 49 ft), which was dedicated to Isis of Philae. The Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius completed its decorations. In 1960, due to the construction of the Great Dam of Aswan and the threat posed to several monuments and archeological sites, UNESCO made an international call to save this historical legacy. As a sigh of gratitude for the help provided by Spain in saving the temples of Abu Simbel, Egypt donated the temple of Debod to Spain in 1968. It was rebuilt in the Parque del Oeste and opened to the public in 1972. It constitutes one of the few works of ancient Egyptian architecture which can be seen outside of Egypt, and the only one of its kind in Spain.

FEATURED PHOTO, Spanish Theme Artwork Group, 11/22/14

FEATURED PHOTO, Places You Visited and Would Recommend to Others group, 4/8/14

FEATURED PHOTO, Images of Europe, 4/2/14

Uploaded

April 2nd, 2014