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The modern town is built on the ancient site of
Ta-ynt-netert which means 'She of the Divine Pillar', or
Tentyra which is Greek for Dendera. It was the capital of the
sixth nome or province of pharaonic Upper
Egypt. The site was dedicated
to the sky and fertility goddess Hathor. The present building
dates to the Ptolemaic Period and was completed by the Roman
emperor Tiberius, but it rests on the foundations of earlier
buildings dating back at least as far as Khufu (second king of
the 4th dynasty [c. 2613–c. 2494 BC]).
The House of Hathor – Temple of Dendera
The Temple of Dendera was known as House of
Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and beauty. Supporting
pillars and sculptures were decorated with the image of Hathor.
Walls, rooms and roof are intact and well preserved. The stone
steps of the spiral staircase are time worn but still used to
ascend to the roof with its small chapel decorated with Hathor-headed
columns. The building bears also the names of the famous
Cleopatra and her son, whose father was Julius Caesar. It is
possible that they climbed the same stairs to visit the chapel
and to enjoy the landscape.
Relief of Bes
The Painted Relief of Bes presents itself near
the Roman Gate of the temple of Hathor at Dendera. Bes is the
Egyptian household god protecting mother and child during
childbirth. He is a bow-legged muscular dwarf with a ferocious
facial expression. His ugly appearance was supposed to drive
away the evil spirits.
The Temple of Hathor
The exterior walls of the Temple of Hathor are
covered with relief carvings dating from the late Ptolemaic
and Roman Era. The western corner of the south wall is of
special interest for its representation of Cleopatra VII
(51-30C.E) and her son Ptolemy XV Caesar.
The Divine Triad of Dendera
The Divine Triad of Dendera is carved in sunk
relief on the south exterior walls of the Temple of Hathor and
pictures Ihy as a child. He is naked and wears the side lock
appropriate to his role as the Uniter of the Two Lands and the
Double Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. In this left hand he
carries a a rattle-like instrument (sistrum) used to ward off
evil spirits. The sistrum was especially associated with his
mother Hathor, Goddess of Love and Music. In his right hand he
holds a menat, a board collar necklace with counterpoise which
could also serve as a percussion instrument. Hathor is
pictured as a woman wearing a crown of bull horns holding a
sun disk. Horus, god of the sky, combines the body of a man
with the head of a falcon. He also wears the Double Crown of
Egypt.
To know more about the fascinating world
of Dendera, come and visit the land of pharaohs
Bookmark now with
tamry tours
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