𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭𝟳:  𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮

Today we awoke in Qena, where we picked up a coach to 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮. This Temple is located near Qena on a bend of the Nile River. It is dedicated to 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗱𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲. 

 Although built and destroyed many times, the Greeks and Romans built the present temple in 50 BC. It contains birth houses, a Coptic Church, the Hathor Temple, and Hypostyle Hall.  It is considered one of the most well-preserved antiquity sites in Egypt today.

The Temple ceiling originally housed the famous 𝗭𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮, a bas-relief nightscape of intricately carved human and animal figures, and the union between Hathor and Horace.  (Pictured below is a copy sent by the French, who have the original in the Louver!)

Paintings on the ceiling are some of the most well-preserved in the ancient world. They also represent two halves of the sky with its northern and southern constellations. Additionally, they depict the hours of the day and night, the sun and the moon, and the zodiac symbols.