For the first highlight of our Dendera and Abydos Temples excursion, we pick you up early in the morning from your accommodation in Marsa Alam. From there, we start in the direction of Dendera to the Hathor Temple, which is located 2.5 km south of Dendera opposite of the city of Qena. Here, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, the
Dendera Temple – Hathor Temple
awaits you. Dendera Temple, dedicated to the goddess Hathor (goddess of love, joy, beauty, music and others), will fascinate you with its wonderfully preserved inscriptions and drawings. Make sure to take your camera with you! The Dendera Temple Complex invites you to capture all these impressions in Pictures.
The temple, built by Queen Cleopatra II and Ptolemy VII in honour of the goddess Hathor, was a well- known healing center, which is evident from the wall drawings. Impressive inscriptions on the temple walls show, that a university was in the Dendera Temple in ancient Egypt, where various disciplines have been taught.
Dendera Temple Complex
Walking through the temple complex, you will come across memories of various structures, including the remains of a Christian basilica from the 5th century, a Holy Lake (for the ablution of the priest) and a Mammisi (birthplace of Ihy, the son of Horus and Hathor).
Another remarkable feature of the Dendera Temple, which other temple complexes do not have, are crypts, some of which are underground and others enclosed in the massive double walls of the upper temple.
Dendera Zodiac
Let our tour guide explain the unique scenes of the Dendera Temple, including fascinating scenes of the roof chapel, the famous Dendera Zodiac dedicated to Osiris, a replica of the original which is on display in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Dendera Zodiac, also known as Zodiac Dendera, proofs, that people in ancient Egypt were already familiar with astrology.
After this impressive visit, we leave this beautiful temple complex for the drive to our second attraction, the
Abydos Temple
close to Sohag in Upper Egypt, near the present-day city of El Bayana. The Abydos temple, built by Ramses II for coronation purposes, processions and celebrations, is not as well preserved as the Dendera Temple Complex but has been restored to its original floor plan. With your arrival, you will notice the similarity to the construction of the famous terrace-shaped Hatshepsut Temple. Inside we meet again Osiris, whose sanctuary is on the highest terrace of the Abydos Temple.
Another world-famous attraction of the temple is the Abydos King List, which our Egyptologist will explain to you before we make our way back to Marsa Alam.
