{"id":629,"date":"2023-10-25T07:52:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T07:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bastet.tksair.com\/?p=629"},"modified":"2025-11-03T22:17:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T22:17:30","slug":"qena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bastet.tksair.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/25\/qena\/","title":{"rendered":"Qena"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Inside
Inside the Temple of Hathor in the Dendera Temple complex.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Oberoi Zahra sailed north from Luxor to the city of Qena and a visit to the Dendera Temple complex<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought this may happen at sometime, we read about visitors being escorted. Also a friend of ours, Carrie Schroeder<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ok, back to our story. First serious construction began at Dendera in 1995 BCE, the best preserved structure being the Hathor temple. Hathor<\/a> 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Temple
Temple of Hathor in the Dendera Temple complex.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The ceiling at the entrance to the Temple of Hathor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The entrance to the Temple of Hathor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Inside
Inside the Temple of Hathor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Inside
Inside the Temple of Hathor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Inside
Inside the Temple of Hathor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Exploring
Exploring with Mohamed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Inside
Inside the crypt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Inside
Inside the crypt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n