Dendera Temple Complex
Dendera Temple was constructed in Greco-Roman temple shape and nowadays the modern town is built on the ancient site of Tentyra which means a Holy Pillar and was known by that name during the Greek time.
Scholars said that this name may be associated with the Greek Aphrodite who was the goddess of beauty in Greek civilization.
Temple of Hathor at Dendera
The temple was originally built by Ptolemy XII and was nearly finished by Queen Cleopatra VII.
Cleopatra VII The last Petolmy kings
Hathor was the goddess of joy and love. Each year she was transported by boat to Edfu to be reunited with the god Horus. The celebration of Dendera followed, with which the divine union was celebrated. Every first day of the year, the statue of Hathor was carried along the magnificent staircase west of the temple to the open kiosk on the roof to be born again by the sun.
Dendera Zodiac
There’s a necropolis that comprises tombs from the Early Dynastic Period and the complex itself consists of:
- Hathor temple (the main temple)
- Temple of the birth of Isis, Goddess of Magic in Ancient Egypt religion
- Sacred Lake
- Sanatorium
- Mammisi of Nectanebo II, the 3rd and the last king of the 30th dynasty
- Christian Basilica
- Roman Mammisi
- A Barque shrine
- Gateways of Domitian and Trajan
- The Roman Kiosk
The commanding building in the complex is the Temple of Hathor. This temple has been changed on the recent site but it started as far back as the Middle Kingdom and stand up until the time of the Roman emperor Trajan. The existing structure began construction in the late Ptolemaic period, and the hypostyle hall was built in the Roman period under Tiberius.
You can book our Tour to Dendera and Abydos from Luxor or an Overnight Tour to Abydos, Dendera, and Luxor from Cairo, or you can browse our variety of tours in Egypt.
"Dandara" is the Arabic name of the ancient Egyptian city "Eunt". Denderah's importance is due to the fact that it was the main center of worship for the goddess Hathor, who united the ancient Greeks with their goddess Aphrodite. The Temple of Dendara is one of the best-preserved Egyptian temples. It is a masterpiece of architecture, a unique example of the arts and a comprehensive record of Egyptian religious thought. The temple is distinguished by its vast surface area and drawings that preserve its features and the tales of the gods "Hathor", the god of love and beauty. The temple also still holds many secrets after the development and restoration work, which included the Great Hall of Columns, the Hall of Illumination and the development of exterior lighting systems.
There is a very special place called The Great Hypostyle Hall where you can go and see and feel how amazing ancient Egypt was.