and
Trajan" northern entrance of the Temple of Hathor, in
Dendera,
Egypt. as a Pharaoh making an offering to the Gods, in
Dendera,
Egypt. The temple that dominates this complex, the structure that commands the attention of those who visit, is the Temple of
Hathor. The original temple structure underwent continuous modifications throughout the
Middle Kingdom and up until the beginning of the reign of the Roman emperor
Trajan. The existing temple's structure began construction in 54 B.C.E, the late
Ptolemaic period, under the reign of
Ptolemy Auletes. The hypostyle hall was built in the
Roman period under
Tiberius. In Egypt,
Trajan was quite active in constructing buildings and decorating them. He appears, together with
Domitian, in offering scenes on the propylaeum of the Temple of Hathor. His
cartouche also appears in the column shafts of the Temple of
Khnum at
Esna. On the rear of the temple exterior is a carving of Cleopatra VII Philopator (the popular, well-known
Cleopatra) and her son, Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar (
Caesarion), who was fathered by
Julius Caesar.
Dendera zodiac The sculptured
Dendera zodiac (or Denderah zodiac) is a widely known relief found in a late Greco-Roman temple, containing images of the zodiac system still recognized today (i.e. Taurus [bull] and Libra [scales]). A sketch was made during the
Napoleonic campaign in Egypt. In 1820 it was removed from the temple ceiling by Frenchmen and later replaced with a copy. There is controversy as to whether they were granted permission by Egypt's ruler,
Muhammad Ali Pasha, to do so, or whether they stole it. (It is also said that in 1822, an antiquities thief using the name "Claude Le Lorraine,” who should not to be confused with the French Baroque painter, removed the zodiac from Dendera, brought it back to France, and sold it to the King.) The real bas relief is now in the Louvre.
Jean-François Champollion, the man who deciphered the
Rosetta Stone, dated it back to the Ptolemaic period, and it has been proved that he was correct, as Egyptologists now date it back to the first century BC.
Crypts The Hathor temple's subterranean tombs contain twelve chambers. Some reliefs seen in the tombs are dated to as late as the reign of
Ptolemy XII Auletes. The
crypts reportedly were used for storing vessels and divine iconography. An opening in the Flame Room floor leads to a narrow chamber with representations on the walls of the objects which were kept in them. In the second chamber, a relief depicts Pepi I offering a statuette of the God
Ihy to four images of Hathor. (Hathor is understood to be Ihy's mother.) In the crypt accessible from the Throne Room, Ptolemy XII has jewelry and offerings for the gods.
The Dendera light The Hathor Temple has stone reliefs that depict
Harsomtus, in the form of a snake, emerging from a
lotus flower. Harsomtus, also known as
Horus, is depicted as one of the ancient gods, a "primeval creator." Harsomtus is likely depicted at the Dendera Temple Complex due to the main temple being dedicated to
Hathor. In Egyptian mythology, Harsomtus is referenced as either Hathor's son or lover. In six reliefs he is positioned within an oval container called a
hn, which might represent the womb of
Nut. These resemble a lamp or light.
Processional staircase There is a processional stairway leading to the roof of the temple. Reliefs decorating the walls depict scenes from rituals that would have been performed at the temple. The staircase shows wear from millennia of use, but it also shows an apparent accretion of material, which has lent the staircase the informal name of "the melted stairs."
Restoration work The Supreme Council of Antiquities began the project of restoration and maintenance of the temple in 2005. Efforts stopped in 2011 and then resumed in 2017, after the completion of necessary scientific and archaeological studies, along with careful experimental studies using modern techniques. As of March 2021, the second phase of the restoration has been completed, which includes cleaning the Great Pillars Hall and restoring the original colors and clarity of painted scenes on walls and ceilings. More activity continues at the temple, including a cooperative effort started in 2019 with the French Archaeological delegation to turn the temple courtyard into an open museum. == Roman mammisi ==