Dendera and the Temple of Hathor

Dot the landscape of modern Spain many of the ancient temples on the Mediterranean coast and down to the southern border with Sudan, most located in the Nile Valley but scattered elsewhere. Some of these famous temples, which stand out from the others, such as the temples of Luxor and Karnak and Philae, Kom Ombo, Esna, Edfu and others. Among the most important of these temples can also be counted Dendera, which provides examples of a rich set of features in the temple later.
Dendera is located about 60 kilometers north of Luxor on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite the modern city in the province of Qena.
Iunet Tantere or ancient Egypt, known to the Greeks and Tentyris, was the capital of the Territory 6th of Upper Egypt and the city of some importance. Today, we know that the Dendera, although the population of the city since ancient times, and moved to the province of Qena, and across the Nile River on the east. Now, the ancient temple is tucked away on the edge of the desert.
Together with the structure itself, there is also a cemetery of the graves, which includes the Early Dynastic period, but the most important stage that had been identified at the end of the transitional period and Old 1. The semi-autonomous provinces at the time and in spite of Dendera was an important political force in Upper Egypt, a fascinating series of terrace built a certain size, but only one, regardless of the decoration of stelae and false doors. In the far west of the site is a brick jumped burial catacombs of the animals at the time of late, particularly birds, dogs, cows, while the buried were found in different parts of the cemetery. Of course, this position was important for the worship of Hathor, which include forms of a cow.
The temple complex is the main trend, as usual, to the Nile, which here flows from east to west, so that the temple faces north. However, for the ancient Egyptians, this was symbolic, since the temple facing the Nile Bank.
The main temple of the region is faced by many of the stalls Romanian. After these, and the gate of a huge Domitian Trajan is located in the massive mud brick wall surrounding the complex, leading to an open area. Although the site lacks a balcony and two towers that must precede the inner temple, unfinished interior brick wall surrounding the courtyard with side entrances that open to the great hall of columns added in the century by the 1st century AD the emperor Tiberius.
However, before the structure itself is the cradle of the Romanian in Dendera, in the West, and probably built by Nero, but perhaps more than Trajan. While the writings indicate the time of Trajan, Nero is in the hall of the main pillars of the Temple of Hathor, which provides a model of birth in the home. This is to maintain the structure of the more than kind.
The new sanctuary was well designed and follow the model of Ptolemy. Commensurate with the level of the Temple of Hathor, and the new building was built on a raised platform. There are stairs that lead to the temporary one side of the rostrum. Ceiling tiles are not placed, as always, below the level of the molding around buildings Cavett above, but maybe it was hidden by a parapet wall. The main building contains a series of three rooms. Corridors that isolate a large haven for striking. These corridors are too narrow to be used and must have added to the impact of symbolic and visual. Shelter and the back wall is dominated by a false door is framed by large columns were erected Cavett double slender cobra and surmounted by a frieze. The altar of worship in the upper part of the wall is the location of the mihrab of the statue in the shrine of the main temple.
His scenes depicting Trajan's successor, Augustus, and making offerings to Hathor, which are among the best found in Egypt. It was the place where Hathor gave birth to a ritual of youth or Harsomtus Ihy, and two of the gods is an alternative for youth in the juvenile stage creator gods in general. There are, of course, the figures are wearing God, and a pattern of birth, and carved on the abacus of the capitals. The inscriptions on the exterior walls are beautifully preserved, and depict the divine birth and childhood of the infant Horus, and rituals that give legitimacy to the king divine descent.
The family's house was surrounded by ambulance. Columns with composite capitals of tall pillars bring the characters wear. Outpatient clinics at the front extended through the addition of three columns in a kind of kiosk, with the corners formed by the front of the L-shaped columns of the kiosk was the wooden ceiling, which should be linked in one way or another to the stone structure of the house of birth. This fusion in the corridor with a balcony is a novelty. In old houses of the birth, and the Court is attached as a separate structure.
Roman Birth House (Mammisi) when they were building the previous structure, initiated by Nectanebo I decorated in Greco-Roman era, and was cutting through the establishment of the tribunal, first and before the completion of the main structure of Hathor. However, a false door in the east of the outer wall of the main temple of Hathor sanctuary remember the original. Originally, this house of birth is about 17 to 20 meters and consists of three times the opening of the campus across the room. It is built mainly of brick, but you got a stone inside the frame. Within this structure the elderly, on the walls of the hall, which represents the Ptolemaic kings offering to Hathor. Scene in the north wall shows the creator god Khnum adjust Ihy children with Hekate goddess of childbirth seen in the image as a frog.
House of Representatives and delivery available. They vary greatly in design and decor.
Among the old houses and the new birth are the remnants of a Christian basilica to be dated in the Horn of 5th. This is an excellent example of a representative of the structure of the Coptic Church.

To the south of the house before the birth is Adobe clinic ".. This is the only hospital of its kind known in conjunction with the ancient Egyptian temple, and here visitors can bathe in holy water, or overnight to make the dream of the gods of healing, and seats on the aspects, which lies in wait for patients for the treatment of those affected by the priests. Inscribed on the base of the statue and found this site indicates that the water poured into the magical texts of the statues, causing to become holy and to treat all sorts of diseases and illnesses. basins used to collect holy water can still be seen at the western end.
To the west of the hospital, and the chapel of Mentuhotep Nebhepetre 'dynasty dating back 11 is pulled from the site was re-erected in the Cairo Museum. Building inscriptions Merenptah secondary school, and both the king and worship of God, and may have been marginal in the main temple in the lost time.
Dendera Temple is the main largest and most decorated of his time. It is also one of the most important temple sites of Egypt, with examples from a rich set of features in the temple later. It is also one of the best temples to maintain this period, surviving in spite of the destruction of the temples of Horus and his consort Hathor and son Ihy Harsomtus was originally run.
Huge databases and may contain many blocks of the previous structure it replaced. Early texts refer to the Temple of Dendera, which was rebuilt during the Old Kingdom, and many of the new kings of Spain, including Tuthmosis III and Amenhotep III and Ramses II and III are known to have adorned the temple. However, while parts of the previous periods have been found at the site, not detected in earlier buildings. Pepi I and Tuthmosis III, in particular, was recalled in the inscriptions in the temple again.
The Temple of Hathor was built in the period and we believe that the thirty-four, between 54 and 20 BC. When Ptolemy XII died in 51 BC, the temple, and after four years of construction activity, is still in its early stages, but do not contain some of the cellars under the ground. It seems that what remains of the temple which was built over twenty years of the reign of his successor, Queen Cleopatra VII. At the time of his death in 30 BC, and work has only just begun decorative (on the back wall out).
The temple is the classic Egyptian completely enclosed by 35 feet by 59 feet from the wall 12.5 meters high. However, unlike the ancient temples, and to the hall of columns that fronts the main temple is constructed on the screen is low among the cylindrical walls to expose the roof of the hall and rattle Hathor the fashion capitals of the world of 24 columns. According to the dedicatory inscription in the thick cornice above the entrance, was built in this part of the temple under the Galilee between 34 and 35 AD. Structure of the 43 measures 26.03 meters high and 17.2 meters. And has the architrave of 8 meters, which reflect the central bays. Above, the tower Cavett, built of course, the magnitude of the bulls corner overshadowed clear the edges of the interface.
The rattle is the ancient Egyptian language, musical instrument, closely linked to Hathor. Each column and a capital of four sides, which occupy about one-third of the column, with the inscription on the face of a cow-eared goddess, although each one of the objects were looted in ancient times (probably during the Christian era, and hubs are decorated with scenes, and bases are flat on the pillars directly. The painting, housed in the 19th century was dominated by blue and Hathor wig.
However, the ceiling of this room retains much of its original color. It is decorated with such a complex and well-aligned table symbolic of the sky, including the signs of the zodiac (presented by the Romans) and the images of the god of the sky nuts, which swallowed the sun all afternoon to give birth again at dawn. Hall columns that adorn the outside of the emperors Augustus to Nero. Note that in the middle of the southern outer wall was a relief to rattle Golden both to show the importance and excitement of Hathor, and gold "of the gods."
Because the rule that the focus of the tradition processional descend gradually from the inside to the outside, was built to reduce the minimum dish Hall columns for gradient required lower levels.
Door allied with the central axis of the temple leads to a hall of columns in the indoor range with six columns of Hathor is also known in the game room. It was here that the statue of the goddess "appeared" in his sanctuary for celebrations and religious processions. Of the anterior wall of this room was in fact the original front of the temple. The room lighting is provided through a small square openings. Camera columns in two rows of three. They also have a head of Hathor. Rules and lower parts of the drums are made of granite, while the upper parts are of sandstone. Scenes on the walls of this room represents the King to participate in the celebrations as a basis to build the temple, and in any of the side doors open to three rooms that were used in the preparation of various aspects of daily rituals. For example, the room was probably used as a laboratory for the preparation of ointments. Opening of the eastern outer wall in enabling the display of products that fall in this area, and a parallel runway in a house west led to the well.
The back of the temple was built first, and perhaps in the early 1st century BC. The first is the name of King Ptolemy XII, but above all on the cartridges empty, probably due to the struggles and hereditary in the middle of 1. This nucleus to include an exhibition hall, where sacrifices were concerned, the Chamber "of Ra" (also known as the Hall "session of the gods), where statues of other gods before the procession began with Hathor.
This is followed by 5.7 to 11.22 meters shrine boat once closed and four boats for Hathor, Horus of Edfu, Harsomtus and Isis, which seems to be were not surrounded by a wooden shrines.
After this little camera is a sanctuary of the gods. It is decorated with a wonderful temple topped by a frieze interface such as cobra Cavett. Inside the shrine was decorated with wooden ships cherished gold, and two meters tall seated image worship of Hathor. Ships were in a niche in the wall, and it is not clear how the altar, and three feet above the sidewalk, can be reached. On each side of the inner sanctum, and the king is shown to provide a mirror brass, one of the sacred insignia of Hathor, the goddess.
In the center of campus on the sides and rear are eleven chapels dedicated to the gods and which are associated with the main features of Hathor, the sacred and heard Menat collar.
In the temple of the most distinctive are the cellars of fourteen years, which was decorated with eleven. Far exceeded those of other temples. The inclusion of access to a secret location in the churches dates from the dynasty 18th. In late in the cellars is included in the architectural design of most of the temples.
These are groups of three rooms in (and sometimes four) stories, which is located on the thickness of the outer wall, and under the floors of the rooms in the back of the structure. Long, narrow corridors and rooms arranged one above the other, with a minimal set deep in the foundations of the temple. Were accessed through small openings in the bottom and hide behind the sliding blocks of the wall. Unlike the cellars, and those in the Dendera decorated in relief. The decorations on these cameras is modified on the axis of the temple. The most important patterns, including rattles prominent, and on the axis itself. Appears to have been decorating the room before the roof blocks identified.
François Daumas describes the east in the cellars of five in the far south, which tells us that:
"In the last room is carefully carved on the southern wall of the Falcons with detailed feathers, preceded by a snake emerging from a lotus flower on a boat. Given that the whole temple is built of sandstone, and to encourage high quality relief and placed on the wall, level with the figures, Mass. of limestone suitable for very detailed work, the artist and the perfect used these inscriptions are representations of the universe. snake out of a lotus flower on a par with deities Harsamtawy Ezz (Ihy) as shown for the first time outside of the primitive sea. and once again is at the bottom of a basement in the form of two snakes coming to light, but this time wrapped in a lotus, envelopes, protective, and sometimes, those who were in the boat - Mesktet collaborated with Horus, and sometimes Mandjet boat with its crew helped to reveal God lifted his body djed, in the form of supreme worship, and Assistant prestigious Ka god. statues and appears to have been used to celebrate the New Year and Eid Harsamtawy. It is likely that in this solemn occasions, these items have been moved to a basement [ie, a room upstairs from the basement]. "
Primarily on the use of these cellars is to maintain the worship team, and archives, and decals magic to protect the temple, although the survival of the most important object in the cellars of the statue of the degree of Hathor.
Also in the thickness of the wall and the stairs leading to the return of the ceiling is uneven because of the high ceiling rooms below, was built in the stands. Roof tiles huge at some point has been covered with paving stones and weight. Surface a little, and was inclined to guide channels rainwater from the roof of the building.
On the surface in the southwestern corner of the booth, which was conducted in the ritual of the Union of God with the sun disk. Hathor has four columns on each side. Sockets in the architecture suggest a barrel ceiling in the form of a wooden double-hull and pediment, although, for the purposes for which it should be a roof and windows to let in the light of the sun. On the floor of a small church and can also take note of the light, and a chapel of Horus and then on the main floor.
And Ba of Hathor will be taken from his hideout in the roof of the temple to celebrate the New Year celebrations are marked where he spent the night before to think about the sun in a symbolic union with the sun disk.
François Daumas tells us that:
"But most of the statues is a Bachelor of Hathor. According to the written texts on the walls, and we know that the kiosk consists of a gold standard with a roof of gold, and supported by four posts with gold, and covered on all four sides of the furniture and curtains hung from copper rods. Stood within the golden statue depicts the bird with a human wearing a horned disc. This was Hathor, Lady Dender, who live at home ... I do not doubt that this was the statue, which was in a booth at the New Year's Eve. "
Stairs to the west of the hall, which was used by priests to go to the summit, has been rising figures of the king and a number of priests in the sanctuary of the gods carved on the wall right. These pictures show various aspects of the New Year festival. Stairs to the east, the fall of the scenes corresponding figures, and were used for the return of the procession.
There is also a pair of parallel sides in the tombs of Eastern and Western dedicated to Osiris, the ceiling. They are hiding in a kind of mezzanine. Each of these shrines are the courts open, surrounded by Cavett. The back wall of the court, and three doors leading to the successive chambers.
Within the two chambers, and shows Isis and Nephthys mourning the death of Osiris, who is in his coffin awaiting burial rituals of magic. Isis is also represented, magically impregnated with the seeds of her son Horus and the myth unfolds.
Wing the interview on the eastern side of the roof is Khoiakh festival where the moon 'Osiris bed was filled with soil, seeds and grains, as part of the rite of fertility is important. Walls portray scenes from the first chamber of the burial goods of Osiris, including his canopic jars and the roof of the fruit is shown with other astronomical figures. In the other half of the ceiling plaster is a copy of the famous 'Dendera Zodiac', which is part of the secrets of cospic Osiris. The original now in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Interior room depicts scenes from the myth of Osiris, similar to those of the West Wing as well as the importance of global patterns.
Dendera was considered one of the many graves of Osiris, and shrines, which have no association with Hathor, was used to celebrate the death and resurrection. That his death could have been re-enacted in the sacred lake, and to the west of the temple.
The auditorium roof pillars, which was reached by another staircase carved with various gods along the wall, the region is higher than the temple was used in ancient times by religious pilgrims expected signs and miracles of the gods. A game boards carved in stone blocks, which helped the faithful to pass the time through the nightlife.
In the external rear wall of the temple, just behind the safe-haven flows under the lions head (and there are also three others in each of the side walls) that rainwater from the roof of the scenes that show the personality of the great Cleopatra VII and her son from Julius Caesar, Caesarion, which has become cooperation in the Queen Regent, inasmuch as Ptolemy XV. In the middle of the wall is a great back door with a huge banner of Hathor, has declined over the centuries by pilgrims who scraped a little to get the sacred stone at the point that can come closer to Hathor itself. This is the location of the ear "hearing" safe haven, allowing God to "hear" the prayers of ordinary people otherwise not allowed in the main temple.
Immediately to the south of the Temple of Hathor and the Temple of Isis, known as Iseum, using foundation blocks for building destroyed by Ptolemy and adorned with Augustus. Gate of the East, as in Roman history, leads to this temple, which is almost unique in a trend or double rooms outside the main part of the structure and the Chamber of columns, facing east and north, toward the interior of the Temple of Hathor. Relief amid a rise in the shrine, which showed the birth of Isis, had been distorted. Inside back wall of the shrine a statue of Osiris (now destroyed) was supported by the arms of Isis and Nephthys.
South, in the southwest corner of the temple is a sacred lake of the buildings, which provide water for the ablution of the priests. With stairs that descended from every corner, and this stone-lined basin celebration is the best preserved of its kind in any temple in Egypt. Today the trees are empty of water and high growth within its walls. Along the lake is good with steps carved into the rocks that led to give access to water for daily use in the temple.
To the east of the temple was part of the city, and the texts referred to, as the temple of Edfu Temple of Horus at her breast. This may be the same is still some of the Roman era of about 500 meters from the main campus. And triads of gods worshiped at Edfu and Dendera were similar, consisting of Horus and Hathor (or Isis), and Ihy or Harsomtus. Hathor Horus at Edfu, Dandara and came together in holy matrimony, "" ceremony, when he made progress in the south.