An Egyptian Temple standing in Madrid, Spain: not what you might expect, right? Yet, that is exactly what you will find. It's the Temple of Debod and it is a genuine, reconstructed Ancient Egyptian Temple that stands, stone for stone, as it once did in Egypt!
If you are fond of oddities and strange attractions, this is a must see. In fact, we imagine most people would find such a bizarre sight and interesting background tale to be of interest. Just find a vacation rental in Madrid and see it for yourself. I mean, there are plenty of other reasons to visit the city anyway, this is merely the very odd cherry on top.
If you are fond of oddities and strange attractions, this is a must see. In fact, we imagine most people would find such a bizarre sight and interesting background tale to be of interest. Just find a vacation rental in Madrid and see it for yourself. I mean, there are plenty of other reasons to visit the city anyway, this is merely the very odd cherry on top.
This 2nd century BC Egyptian temple was transported to Madrid’s Cuartel de la Montaña Park and reconstructed in the 20th century, in order to save it. The Egyptian government were constructing the great Aswan Dam and knew that the flooding waters would destroy this cultural landmark. In order to build their necessary dam and save the temple, they decided to donate it to the city of Madrid as a gift. It was transported and rebuilt stone by stone in its current location and was then opened to the public in 1972.
Built for the Meroë King Adijalamani and dedicated to the god Amun and the goddess Isis, it was decorated with incredible high reliefs. Subsequent kings of the Ptolemaic dynasty also built new rooms around the original core and it was enlarged over time, as a result. The construction and decoration works were then finished under the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius (and possibly Hadrian) after Egypt was annexed by the Roman Empire. In the 6th century AD, following Nubia’s conversion to Christianity, the temple was sealed off and abandoned.
Today, it is presented with audiovisual displays explaining the decorative schemes, purposes and history. However, due to conservation reasons and the need to maintain constantly stable environmental conditions, access to certain areas can be restricted and only 30 people are allowed inside the building at the same time for a maximum of 30 minutes. Despite this, it is well worth the visit. Just be sure to book your tickets in advance and then take in this wonderful oddity in Spain!
Built for the Meroë King Adijalamani and dedicated to the god Amun and the goddess Isis, it was decorated with incredible high reliefs. Subsequent kings of the Ptolemaic dynasty also built new rooms around the original core and it was enlarged over time, as a result. The construction and decoration works were then finished under the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius (and possibly Hadrian) after Egypt was annexed by the Roman Empire. In the 6th century AD, following Nubia’s conversion to Christianity, the temple was sealed off and abandoned.
Today, it is presented with audiovisual displays explaining the decorative schemes, purposes and history. However, due to conservation reasons and the need to maintain constantly stable environmental conditions, access to certain areas can be restricted and only 30 people are allowed inside the building at the same time for a maximum of 30 minutes. Despite this, it is well worth the visit. Just be sure to book your tickets in advance and then take in this wonderful oddity in Spain!
