The Temple of Debod is a fascinating piece of history that’s now located in Madrid, Spain. Originally built in the early 2nd century BC, it was positioned about 15 km (or roughly 9.3 miles) south of Aswan, Egypt. Interestingly, in 1968, the Egyptian government gifted this temple to Spain as a thank you for their help in saving the monuments of Nubia. After being dismantled, it was transported across the sea and reconstructed in the beautiful Parque de la Montaña between 1970 and 1972. It’s one of the rare examples of ancient Egyptian architecture found outside of Egypt and the only one of its kind in Spain.
The temple was initially set up close to the first cataract of the Nile, near the significant religious site in Philae, which was dedicated to the goddess Isis. King Adikhalamani from the Kushite kingdom of Meroë started the temple’s construction by creating a small chapel dedicated to the god Amun. This structure was designed in a way that resembles the later Meroitic chapel, which inspired the Temple of Dakka. By the way, King Adikhalamani is actually buried in pyramid number 9 over in Meroë, Sudan.
As time went on, the temple was expanded during the reigns of Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy VIII, and Ptolemy XII, evolving into a small temple measuring 12 by 15 meters (39 ft × 49 ft) dedicated to the goddess Isis of Philae. Even Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius played a part in completing its expansion, adding to its impressive history.
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