Where is the Dendera Temple complex located?
The Dendera Temple complex is located about 2.5 kilometres south-east of Dendera, Egypt. It served as the sixth nome of Upper Egypt, south of Abydos.
Questions about Dendera Temple complex
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the oldest surviving structure in the Dendera Temple complex?
The oldest surviving structure in the Dendera Temple complex is the mammisi raised by Nectanebo II, the last of the native pharaohs, who ruled from 360 to 343 B.C. Evidence of even earlier structures dates to around 2250 B.C.E., but none of those buildings are standing today.
What is the Dendera zodiac and where is it now?
The Dendera zodiac is a sculpted bas-relief originally found on the ceiling of a late Greco-Roman section of the Hathor Temple. It was removed in 1820 and replaced with a copy. The original is now displayed in the Louvre in Paris. Jean-Francois Champollion dated it to the Ptolemaic period, specifically the first century B.C.
When did construction begin on the main Temple of Hathor at Dendera?
Construction of the existing main structure of the Temple of Hathor began in 54 B.C.E. under Ptolemy Auletes during the late Ptolemaic period. The hypostyle hall was added later under the Roman emperor Tiberius.
What was the sanatorium at the Dendera Temple complex used for?
The sanatorium at Dendera functioned similarly to a Roman bathhouse but was reserved strictly for bathing and overnight stays intended to produce healing dreams. The sacred waters there were also used to bless inscriptions on statues so the statues could cure diseases.
What sphinx was discovered at Dendera in 2023?
In March 2023, archaeologists excavating the Dendera site uncovered a limestone sphinx depicted with a slight grin and dimples. It is believed to have been created in the image of the Roman emperor Claudius. The sphinx wears a nemes headdress with a cobra-shaped uraeus on top.