Temple of Debod

The Temple of Debod is an ancient Egyptian - unternubischer temple which was rebuilt in Madrid. It was originally 15 km south of Philae on the banks of the Nile near the first Nile cataract in the immediate vicinity of Debod.

In a sanctuary located at Debod the goddess Isis at Philae together with Hor -pa - chered was worshiped at Philae. The southern temple complex of Debod made ​​a part of this holy place; the north half was dedicated to " Amun of Debod ". The old temple of Debod is occupied, among other things already in the 8th dynasty (first interval ).

History

The new temple was built by Ptolemy IV. In the early second century BC, the Nubian king Adikhalamani of Meroe was a small chapel dedicated to the god " Amun Ta- hat " build near the village of Debod. The chapel was known as the " Chapel of the reliefs ". In their numerous inscriptions and reliefs were found, including two offering scenes, where the god Hor -pa - chered food gets.

In the course of various Ptolemaic kings added new chambers added to the original core of the system. Augustus was later built the atrium. Descriptions of the decorations and inscriptions of the court have been preserved only from the reports of travelers to Egypt, for example, from another scene of sacrifice in honor of Hor -pa - chered. Further enlargement and beautification work was carried out under Tiberius and probably Hadrian.

Representations

Chapel

Hor -pa - chered, the Uto with a dining sacrifice is offered, can be seen as standing naked deity with double crown, lock of youth, pectoral, ankh - sign and with the left hand on the mouth; In another scene of sacrifice together with Nekhbet with similar iconography.

Forecourt

In a ritual scene, the king stands in front of Isis, Osiris, Schepesetneferet, Imhotep and Hor -pa - chered. The wall on which the reliefs have been mounted, is temporarily destroyed. There came Hor -pa - chered than God standing with jacket, double crown, lock of youth and heart amulet; the right hand on the mouth and in her left hand a Rechit reserved.

Rescue from flooding

The construction of the Aswan Dam in 1960 brought a number of archaeological monuments of the Nile region to be flooded in danger. Therefore, the UNESCO issued an international call to save the unique cultural heritage in southern Egypt. To acknowledge the help of Spain to the rescue of the temple of Abu Simbel, the Egyptian government donated the temple of Debod to Spain in 1968.

The temple, however, was dismantled in 1961 and stored in the so-called elephant island near the dam. There remained the major individual blocks until April 1970, when they were transported downriver to Alexandria. In June 1970, the blocks were loaded onto a ship and transported through the port of Valencia to Madrid.

New home

The temple was then rebuilt in one of the most beautiful parks of Madrid, in the vicinity of the Madrid Campo del Moro and the Parque del Oeste ( German: West Park ) on a former site of military barracks. The temple is open to the public since 1972 and one of the few examples of ancient Egyptian architecture, which can be visited outside of Egypt, and the only exhibition of its kind in Spain.