Temple of Hathor at Dendera

The ancient remains of Dendera are 60km north of Luxor, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the modern town of Qena. Dedicated to Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love, joy and beauty, the Temple of Hathor at Dendera was built between 54 and 20 BC. One of the latest Egyptian temples, the walls and roof are perfectly preserved except for the capitals of the columns that used to be in the form of Hathor herself, but were defaced by Christians at a later stage.

As is usual, with Egyptian temples, the temple faces the Nile, resulting in a roughly north-south alignment. In addition to the temple itself, there are many earlier remains including a necropolis with tombs of the early Dynastic period. Shrines were built on the site from the earliest Egyptian period, but the earliest building now extant is the Mammisi of Nectanebo (360-343 BC). There are also a number of Roman buildings added after the Temple of Hathor was finished, including additions by the emperors Tiberius, Domitian and Trajan. One of the reliefs of the temple depicts Cleopatra and her son by Julius Caesar.