Temple of Hathor
Dendera, Egypt
Dendera lies along a bend of the Nile about 20 miles north of Karnak. The Greco-Roman temple of Hathor is mostly Ptolemaic, except for the outer hypostyle hall (35 AD) which is Roman. The complex - which also contains several mammisis, a sanitorium, and a Christian basilica - was fronted by a monumental gateway of Domitian and Trajan.
The Temple of Dendara was known as the 'Castle of the Sistrum' or 'Pr Hathor' - House of Hathor. Hathor was the goddess of love, joy and beauty. With the exception of its supporting pillars, which had capitals sculpted in the image of Hathor and were defaced by the Christians, the walls, rooms and roof are complete and extraordinarily well preserved. The stone steps of the spiral staircase are time worn but still used to ascend to the roof, where there is a small chapel decorated with Hathor-headed columns - the Christians seemed to have missed these.
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| Reconstruction by Millmore |
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