If you ever visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, one of the must-see exhibits within the sprawling art museum is the Temple of Dendur. We will unpack some interesting Temple of Dendur facts that will make you appreciate what a spectacular wonder it is.
Interesting Temple of Dendur Facts
1. The Temple of Dendur is the only Egyptian temple in the United States of America
You can search across the entire United States but you will not be able to find another structure like the Temple of Dendur in America. It is the only authentic ancient Egyptian temple that exists within the United States. The temple was built to honor the Egyptian goddess Isis and two sons of a local ruler.
2. The Temple was Built by a Roman Emperor
While you may think that the Temple of Denur was built by the ancient Egyptians, the truth is much more fascinating. The structure was built by the Roman
emperor Augustus during the time when Egypt was ruled by the Roman Empire. This places the construction of the Temple of Dendur to be around 15 B.C.E, which is roughly 2000 years ago. Caesar Augustus had conquered Egypt in 31 B.C.E. The temple was originally built along the banks of the Nile River in southern Egypt, near the country’s border with Sudan.
3. It was Gifted to the United States by the Egyptian Government in 1965
One of the mega construction projects that was taking place in the 1960s was the construction of the Aswan High Dam. This resulted in the manmade Lake Nassar. As a result of this project, the temple would have been permanently submerged in water. To prevent this from happening, the temple was disassembled piece by piece and moved to prevent it from being destroyed.
In 1965, the Egyptian government gave it as a gift to the United States. In 1967, it was decided that it should placed within the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it can be seen today in the Sackler wing.
The Temple of Dendur was taken apart in Egypt, packed into 660 crates, transported by ship, and put back together again, block by block, at The Met where it stands.
4. Three Rooms
The Temple of Dendur has three rooms. These are a highly decorated entrance hall, an un-decorated offering room, and the sanctuary which depicts the patron goddess, Isis.
At its original location on the sandstone cliffs on the Nile, the temple also had a small chamber. This where there was the tomb of two local Nubian nobles depicted in the relief carvings of the sanctuary room.
5. Decorations used to be in Color
The Temple of Dendur is decorated with many carvings. These depict Caesar Augustus as a pharaoh and he is shown making offerings to the gods. In return, gods provide life, symbolized by the ankh.
There are also carvings of material from the natural world like papyrus and lotus plants. Above them, over the entrance, is the sun disk with outstretched wings over the
entrance represents the sky.
All these carvings and decorations were once painted in color. What a sight it must have been.
If you enjoyed this story about interesting Temple of Dendur facts, we think that you will also enjoy this other one about what else you can see at The Met.
