Dendera Temple

Dendera Temple complex is a religious ritual house of the ancient Egyptians. Dendera is located 60 km north of Luxor, 8 km from the Kena and about 2.5 km southeast from the village of Dendera. Here you can see one of the oldest and virtually perfectly preserved monuments of Egyptian culture. Dendera Temple was able to keep intact for the fact that by mid-19th century the remains were engulfed by sand.

About 75 kilometers south of, Abydos Dendera is extremely valuable Egyptian monument, because thanks to his excellently preserved structure can be learned and seen a lot of the culture of this ancient people.

Near Danera is also located the Temple of Karnak, which is located only 47 km away, and the magnificent Temple of Luxor is located only 49 km away.

According to archeological evidence Dendera temple complex was built around 2250 BC, by Emperor of Pepi. The temple was reconstructed during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu of Dynasty IV.

Temple of Dendera was the sixth Pharaoh's capital province of Upper Egypt. It stands in the desert, on the west bank of the Nile and was the center of worship of Hathor - the goddess of love and heaven. Here were held religious celebrations.

The most important part of the Dendera temple complex is actually the Temple of Hathor. It extends a significant 40 000 square meters and is surrounded by a fence wall, built of sandstone rocks.

Dendera was known to ancient Egyptians under the name Tantere, which in Greco-Roman period changed. It is from this time that dates the temple of Hathor, which, however, uses the foundations of the original Egyptian construction from the time of King Khufu at Dendera.

The cult of Hathor building dates from the Ptolemaic dynasty. Later it was completed by the Roman emperor Tiberius. Symbol of Hathor was the cow and of whole Dendera- the crocodile, which incidentally is a celebrated animal of many ancient Egyptian cities. In the chief hall of the temple of Hathor is depicted Emperor Nero, who should be represented in his home.

Temple of Hathor is considered a most unique building in the world, which can be seen today. It and Dendera are ritual sites and as such they are dotted with various figures of gods, priests and pharaohs. Today, only the door on the east wall of the main temple of Hathor is reminiscent of the original construction of the sanctuary.