Kalabsha Temple

Q: Where is Kalabsha Temple located?

Kalabsha Temple is located on an island in Lake Nasser, close to the Aswan High Dam. Visitors usually drive about 30 minutes from Aswan and then take a short boat ride to reach the temple.

Q: When was Kalabsha Temple built?

The present Kalabsha Temple was constructed during the reign of Augustus between 30 BC and 14 AD. However, the site originally contained an earlier temple founded by Amenhotep II during the 18th Dynasty.

Q: Why was Kalabsha Temple moved from its original location?

The original site of Kalabsha Temple was at ancient Talmis, which was submerged after the creation of Lake Nasser following the construction of the Aswan High Dam. In 1970, the temple was relocated to New Kalabsha Island to preserve this important historical monument.

Q: Which god was worshipped at Kalabsha Temple?

Kalabsha Temple was dedicated to Mandulis, a Nubian deity associated with the Egyptian gods Ra and Min.

Q: What is the architectural design of Kalabsha Temple?

The design of Kalabsha Temple follows the traditional style of temples from the Ptolemaic Period. It includes two pylons, a large courtyard, a hypostyle hall, and three sanctuary chambers. Unlike many Egyptian temples, its axis is not perfectly straight, giving the first courtyard a trapezoidal shape.

Q: What scenes and inscriptions can be seen at Kalabsha Temple?

Visitors to Kalabsha Temple can see reliefs depicting rulers worshipping gods such as Horus and Min. The temple also contains inscriptions from Nubian rulers including Silko, who defeated the Blemmyes.

Q: Why is Kalabsha Temple important?

Kalabsha Temple is considered one of the most impressive examples of Nubian architecture from the Roman period. Although unfinished, it preserves remarkable reliefs and inscriptions that illustrate the religious and political history of Nubia and southern Egypt.

The temple of Kalabsha is located on Lake Nasser, very close to the high dam. It takes about 30 minutes driving from the city of Aswan, then board a motor boat from the pier for 15 minutes to reach the temple, as it is located on an island. The site needs about an hour for an explanation.

The monuments of ancient Talmis, which was the name of the original site of Kalabsha now disappeared under the waters of Lake Nasser, were moved to their present location in New Kalabsha (Challal) in 1970. Amenhotep II of the 18th Dynasty founded the original temple, but the present temple was built by the Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus (30 BC to 14 AD) who dedicated it to the Nubian god Mandulis, identified with Ra and Min. There are also remains of an earlier temple from the Ptolemaic period.

The Design of Kalabsha Temple

is the same as that of the Ptolemaic period, with two pylons, courtyard, hypostyle hall and three sanctuary rooms. Unlike other Ptolemaic temples, the building does not follow a straight axis, so the first pylon creates a trapezoid with the first courtyard. The first courtyard had columns on three sides with very few reliefs and some Meroitic inscriptions of King Kharamadoye and King Silko, who conquered the Nubian Blemmyes. After the vestibule, there are three chambers including The Pronaos (a chamber preceding the sanctuary) and The Naos, or the sanctuary where the statues of the gods were located. There are also scenes depicting the king worshipping Mandulis, Horus, Min, and other deities.

Conclusion of Kalabsha Temple

The temple is considered one of the greatest examples of Nubian architecture, even though it is not completely finished. Its architecture is typical of the Roman period, but it presents beautiful reliefs illustrating Horus emerging from the reeds, as well as many later records of governors such as Aurelius Bessarion or the Nubian king Silko, head of a Christian kingdom called Nobatia.