Category: Qena

Qena

Inside the Temple of Hathor in the Dendera Temple complex.
Inside the Temple of Hathor in the Dendera Temple complex.

The Oberoi Zahra sailed north from Luxor to the city of Qena and a visit to the Dendera Temple complex. This visit was different in several ways, Kim and I have been moving about the country (and on the cruise) independently to this point, for this visit all the passengers from the Zahra grouped together and sent in a police escorted convoy to the temple. We still had our own guide (Mohamed) and driver (also Mohamed) but we were told it was safer to move as one. Once at the temple a burly policeman greeted us and asked how we were doing, also a first. A low key, friendly interrogation IMHO. Later, other passengers said they heard there is some ill will between villagers nearby but no real reason was given and guide Mohamed did not know.

I thought this may happen at sometime, we read about visitors being escorted. Also a friend of ours, Carrie Schroeder is a Coptic scholar who visits Egypt frequently and her husband Eric Johnson told me that she was frequently escorted by armed police. So just another truth about visiting Egypt.

Ok, back to our story. First serious construction began at Dendera in 1995 BCE, the best preserved structure being the Hathor temple. Hathor is the egyptian goddess of many things, love, beauty, music, dancing to name a few. She was also the mother of Horus, god of the sky, and Ra, the sun god. The Hathor temple itself is well preserved with large columns and striking art with depictions of Cleopatra VI, Cleopatra VII (the more well known one) and her son Ptolemy XV who was fathered by Julius Caesar.

Temple of Hathor in the Dendera Temple complex.
Temple of Hathor in the Dendera Temple complex.
The ceiling at the entrance to the Temple of Hathor.
The ceiling at the entrance to the Temple of Hathor.
The entrance to the Temple of Hathor.
The entrance to the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Exploring with Mohamed.
Exploring with Mohamed.

There are also some small crypts that the adventurous can explore which was not available at other temple complexes we visited. Thanks for the help with the video Mohamed!

Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Video from inside a crypt in Hathor temple.
Old gray hair emerging from the crypt crawl.
Old gray hair emerging from the crypt crawl.
Kim’s view of my crypt crawl return.
My shirt was damaged during my crypt crawl.
My shirt was damaged during my crypt crawl.
Down to another crypt.
Down to another crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.

One interesting thing I learned here was about the the staircases in temples, why the one for going up is a spiral and the one for going down is straight. This is to imitate a falcon, spiraling up in the sky to hunt and diving down once it spys its prey. Fascinating.

The falcon spiral way up.
The falcon spiral way up.
On the roof of the Temple of Hathor
On the roof of the Temple of Hathor
Inside the roof kiosk where rituals for Hathor were performed.
Inside the roof kiosk where rituals for Hathor were performed.
The roof of the kiosk.
The ceiling of the kiosk.
Depiction of Hathor on the roof of the kiosk.
Depiction of Hathor on the ceiling of the kiosk.
The view from the top of Hathor temple.
The view from the top of Hathor temple.
The falcon dive way down.
The falcon dive way down.

Apparently Elon Musk has a fascination with Egypt and has tweeted about Dendera specifically the Dendera Light which represents creation. Not a light bulb…

The Dendera light, etching that fascinates Musk. No, it is not a light bulb and battery, it depicts the Egyptian creation myth.
The Dendera light, an etching that fascinates Musk. No, it is not a light bulb and battery, it depicts the Egyptian creation myth.
Our convoy forming up to head back to the Oberoi Zahra.
Our convoy forming up to head back to the Oberoi Zahra.