TEMPLE OF HATHOR AT DENDERA

The Temple of Hathor is part of a large complex comprised of several structures which include, but not limited to, the Temple of the Birth of Isis, Chapel of Mentuhotep II, Roman Birth House, remains of a Christian basilica, and the Gateway of Domitian and Trajan. The complex is located in Dendera on the west bank of the Nile across from modern day Qena, approximately two hours north of Luxor. In ancient times, the Egyptians referred to Dendera as Iunet or Tantere with the city serving as the capital of the 6th nome (province) of Upper Egypt. 

Roof of the Gateway of Domitian and Trajan.

The complex in its entirety extends approximately 40,000 square meters and it is surrounded by a large mud brick enclosure wall. The oldest remains at Dendera have been traced to the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Pepi I as well as several kings from the New Kingdom. These remains are just fragments as no actual buildings have been unearthed from those periods. 

The main temple in the complex is the Temple of Hathor which is considered one of Egypt’s grandest given that it is among the best preserved and most elaborately decorated of its period. Like other temples throughout Egypt, the Temple of Hathor is oriented towards the Nile; however, given that the river flows east to west in Dendera, the temple was built on a north-south axis rather than the typical east-west. Furthermore, unlike other temples, the Temple of Hathor does not have neither a colonnade nor the two pylons at the entrance.

Screenshot from Google Maps that shows the big
bend of the Nile where the river flows east to west. 

The Temple of Hathor was built over three decades between 54 BC and 20 BC starting in the reign of Ptolemy XII and ending during the tenure of Cleopatra VII. Despite being constructed during the Roman Period, the temple is mainly designed in the classical Egyptian style. A unique feature of the temple is that the facade is comprised of 6 columns with low walls allowing one to see the roof and columns of the hypostyle hall from the outside. The hypostyle hall for this temple contains 24 columns - each elaborately decorated with inscriptions and capped with four-sided capitals bearing the image of Hathor. 

FAST FACTS

Hathor was an Egyptian goddess that represented the principles of joy, love, and motherhood. She is also personified as the goddess of music, dance, foreign lands, and fertility. Hathor is usually depicted as a cow goddess - upon her head are two horns hoisting the sun disk that contains the Uraeus, the sacred Egyptian cobra. 

A very interesting aspect of the Temple of Hathor is the ‘Dendera Zodiac’ which depicts the cosmic aspects of Osiris and the mysteries surrounding his life. The original was taken by French archaeologists and is now on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris. A reproduction of the ‘Dendera Zodiac’ can be found in a structure on the eastern side of the temple’s roof.  

A replica of the Dendera Zodiac.

The ceiling of the hypostyle hall also shows astrological images including the signs of the zodiac that were introduced by the Romans. Alongside those images is artwork portraying the sky goddess Nut who is said to have swallowed the sun each evening then given birth to it in the morning, with these actions representing the sunset and the sunrise. 

The roof of the hypostyle hall.

The goddess Nut, bottom left corner, about to swallow the sun.

South of the Temple of Hathor is a building referred to as a ‘sanatorium’, a structure that is unique to Egyptian religion and architecture and is the only one of its type to be related to an Egyptian temple. The sanatorium served as a place where Egyptians could visit in the hopes of being cured by the goddess Hathor. 

An interesting component of the complex is the remains of a Christian basilica from the 5th century AD. These remains provide an example of early Coptic Church architecture. 

Behind the Temple of Hathor stands the Temple of Isis, also known as the Iseum. This structure is unique in that it has a dual orientation - outer rooms and hypostyle hall face east while the inner chambers face north toward the main temple.  

Adjacent to the sanatorium stood a small chapel built by Mentuhotep II of the 11th Dynasty. This chapel was dismantled and reconstructed inside the Cairo Museum. 

The Temple of Hathor has 14 crypts of which 11 are decorated with detailed and colorful images. Crypts became a part of temples around the 18th Dynasty and by the Late Period were a standard feature. 

VISITING DENDERA 

Walking into the Temple of Hathor elicits an indescribable feeling of amazement as one tries to take in the beauty of the vibrant colors and detailed inscriptions that adorn the roof, walls, and columns. And while it may be difficult to understand, not even the Great Pyramid at Giza can generate such wonderment. My tour mate Alicia and I walked through the hypostyle hall with eyes as wide as saucers and mouth agape as we tried to take in the beauty that surrounded us. 

In my research of Egypt tours, I have come across only two that offered a trip to Dendera as part of the itinerary. These two tours are the 12 day excursions offered by Trafalgar and Insight Vacations. Other companies, such as Memphis Tours, offer a day trip to both Dendera and Abydos, another city that is rarely visited by tour groups. It makes sense that the shorter trips, those lasting 7-10 days, don't include Dendera since it is an approximately 4 hour round trip from Luxor. However, if you have the time, or are traveling independently, it is definitely worthwhile to find a company that offers tours to see the Temple of Hathor. And while a 4 hour drive sounds long and boring, Alicia and I greatly enjoyed it since we passed by several villages, beautiful tree lined roads, and various farms growing sugar cane. It was interesting to catch a glimpse of life in rural Egypt and I loved seeing the children playing games in their front yards. 

The ticket to enter the complex; 80
Egyptian Pounds is $4.52 as of May 2018.

Since Dendera doesn't receive many visitors, it is very peaceful and quiet. My tour group visited on a Friday morning and I do not recall seeing any other tourists in the vicinity. At the Temple of Hathor, our tour guide went at a leisurely pace so we spent a considerable time at the site which afforded the opportunity to enjoy the temple and to take tons of pictures. Aside the lack of crowds, another great thing about Dendera is that the vendors are stationed outside the mud brick enclosure so you do not need to hassle with them during the tour. It was a wonderful experience having the site all to ourselves!

NOTE The ground in the temple is relatively even; however, some of the halls and chambers were rather dark. For those that have difficulty navigating in dim lighting, it is recommended that you bring a flashlight or use the flashlight app on your phone. 

NOTE Those with mobility issues or claustrophobia may not be able to visit the crypts. To enter the crypt, you need to do a sliding/crawling motion through a horizontal gap between two stones. Once inside, the crypt has a low roof and narrow passageway so those with claustrophobia may not enjoy the experience.  

NOTE The stairways leading to the roof consist of uneven and "rounded" steps and there are no handrails to provide support. 

A view of the temple from the roof. 

A beautiful rooftop view.

Cleopatra VII and her son by Julius Caesar, Caesarion.