Dendera Temple of Hathor, Dendera, Egypt
The Dendera Temple Complex is an ancient Egyptian temple located in the town of Dendera, about 1.5 miles southeast of Dendera, Egypt.
Dendera Temple: Qism Qena, Qena, Qena Governorate 1455046, Egypt
Date Picture Taken: March, 2024
Dendera Temple is located about a two-hour drive from my hotel in Luxor, Egypt. I hired a driver through the hotel who took me there.
Dendera Temple is one of the best-preserved temple complexes in Egypt and is dedicated to Hathor, the goddess of love, joy, and motherhood in ancient Egyptian religion.
The Dendera Temple is in the center of the picture below.
Panoramic view of the temple site
Entering the front gate
Panoramic view of the temple and the courtyard
On the right side is this building called Roman Birthhouse.
The birth house was the ritual location where Hathor gave birth to the young Ihy or Harsomtus, two alternative youthful deities who stand for the youthful phase of creator gods in general.
Walked into the birthhouse
Walked out from the birthhouse
There are ruins next to the birth house
The ruins next to the birthhouse
The side of the birthhouse
Panoramic view of the courtyard from the side
The temple was built during the Ptolemaic era and is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and her son Horus.
The temple is well known for its beautiful reliefs and sculptures depicting various gods and goddesses.
The temple was built to commemorate the birth of Horus, the god of kingship, born from Hathor’s womb in Dendera
Entering the main temple
The Dendera Temple Complex also features a mammoth hypostyle hall, adorned with massive columns, intricate reliefs, and statues. It was a location for pilgrimage and religious ceremonies throughout ancient Egyptian history.
Panoramic view from left to right
Turned around and looked back
Walked to the next room
The room has numerous columns, but they are smaller in size compared to the columns in the first room.
Panoramic view from left to right
This room has many small side rooms, and I entered one of the rooms.
Walked out from the side room
And entered the next room
Out from that room
And entered a room on the opposite side
Panoramic view looking toward the main entrance of the temple
Entered another side room
Back out to the main room
Ready to move to the next large room (the third large room from the main entrance) of the temple
This room is smaller compared with the first two. The left side of the room.
The right side, which has a stairs
Went up to stairs
Came back out to one of the main room (the fourth large room)
Walking forward toward the sanctuary room
The fifth large room is right before the sanctuary room. The right side of the room.
There is a door on the right side, and I entered
A side prayer room?
Back out to the fifth main room
The sanctuary
I entered the sanctuary room again when the people were gone.
The view of the temple hallway from the sanctuary
There are passageways on the left and right of the sanctuary room that circles around the sanctuary room.
And this passage way has many small side rooms
One of the small rooms
The same room after the crowd was gone.
Out from the side room and kept following the passage way around the sanctuary room
Another room in the passageway
Came back out to the main room room and exited the temple
Panoramic view
Turned around and looked back
Panoramic view
Came back to the hotel
