The Temple of Dendur
One of the delights in visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is entering the glass enclosed atrium that houses the Temple of Dendur. Although the temple is not large it demands your attention the second you view it. And it does draw you closer; you find it impossible to take your eyes from it.
But first, to find your way to the atrium and the temple, you must first walk through the museum's Egyptian Galleries with one of the greatest collection of artifacts from that empire's 3000 year history. You'll see mummy cases (without the mummies unfortunately), sculptures of gods and pharaohs, walls of hieroglyphs, pottery and items used in daily life during ancient times.
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| Hieroglyphs on a Wall of the Temple |
After walking through the galleries and viewing the vast collection, you enter the atrium. It seems that all the wonderful art you've seen so far was just a prelude to the temple itself. The temple stands on a raised platform; before it is a stone pylon and before that, a pool of water. Natural light illuminates the scene.
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| The Temple of Dendur and Pylon |
Although the atrium is not a sanctuary in the modern sense, there is a hush and a feeling of awe when viewing the temple. Several Egyptian sculptures are also displayed in the area.
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| Dendur and Sculptures at Night |
The Temple is divided into three rooms. The innermost was the area that the very private religious ceremonies worshipping the goddess Isis were performed. Ancient Greek and Egyptian religious activities were not public affairs and because of that were filled with mystery.
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| The Entrance to the Temple |
Carved in a wall of the temple is a scene that shows the Roman emperor Augustus bringing offerings to the Egyptian gods Horus and Hathor. Egypt at the time this temple was built was part of the vast Roman Empire and the emperor was looked upon as a pharaoh.
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| Emperor Augustus (Right) Bringing Offerings to gods Horus and Hathor |
In ancient times Egyptian and Greek temples and sculpture were colorfully painted and traces of paint can sometimes be found after centuries. Below is an artist's illustration of how the above panel may have looked two thousand years ago.
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| What the Carved Wall May Have Looked Like When OriginallyPainted |
The temple was brought over, stone by stone, as a gift from Egypt to the American people more than 50 years ago. The temple needed to be moved because of the rising waters of Lake Nasser, the reservoir created by damming the Nile River. The U.S. government awarded the temple to the Metropolitan Museum of Art which constructed the special atrium to house it. Below are several drawings from the Nineteenth Century showing the temple in its original location.
There are many online resources to learn more about the art and culture of ancient Egypt. The Metropolitan Museum of Arts' website is metmuseum.org. Enjoy exploring.
George
George Woideck is the author of Brooke and Piper. A former rock musician who recorded and toured, George is now a ceramic artist specializing in ceramic tile and glass mosaic public art installations. He is also well known for his work in schools as a teaching artist in education. George is married to professor and memoirist Gail Arnoff and is a father and grandfather. He is currently working on a sequel to Brooke and Piper titled, The Room with No Door. Contact George at georgewoideck@gmail.com. Visit the website at brookandpiper.com.
