Topics Included
-
Dandara Highlights
- History of Dandara
- Temples of Dandara
- Mammisi(Pharaohs' birth chapel)
Dandara Highlights
Dendera one of the best sights in Luxor, originally called Tentyris, was one of the most important religious centers in ancient Egypt. It is situated on the west bank of the Nile, south of Qena in Egypt. The city was rendered sacred by three sanctuaries: the Sanctuary of Horus, the god of the sky and protector of the pharaohs, the Sanctuary of Ihy, the young sistrum-playing son of Horus, and the Sanctuary of Hathor. Only the latter has survived practically inact, while no more than a few traces remain of the other two.

History of Dandara
Since the most ancient times, Dendera must have had a sanctuary, which was destroyed and rebuilt several times; however, the present complex dates from the late Ptolemaic and Roman periods. This explains the prevalence of a magnificently scenic style, less severe than that of the oldest Egyptian temples, clearly evident in this lithograph, which shows the interior of the first hypostyle room, a magnificent chamber over 80 feet deep, featuring 18 huge columns covered with bas-reliefs.
The temples of Dendera does not feature the pylon usually present in sacred Egyptian architecture; the front of the building is formed by a massive structure measuring 139 feet wide by 60 feet high, with six columns on the façade on which an impressive cornice rests. The intercolumniations are occupied as far as the halfway up by panels covered with hieroglyphic texts and bas-reliefs, while the entrance opens in the center, forming a high, empty space wider than the adjacent ones.
Inside, 18 more columns stand in three rows; all the capitals reproduced the features of the patron goddess of the place. As it is higher than the rest of the temple, this hypostyle room, added under Tiberius, to some extent acts as the missing Pylon.
Plan Your Dream Tour To Egypt Now!

Temples of Dandara
The temple of Dendera, built by Ptolemy IX SoterII, stands in the middle of a huge area bounded by a wall of air-dried bricks, almost entirely ruined, whose sides are between 925 and 990 feet long; on the north and east sides are two magnificent portals built during the period of Roman rule. Apart from the great sanctuary, some outstanding monuments stand in the sacred enclosure. Not far from the rear façade of the great temple are the badly damaged remains of a small sanctuary dedicated to the birth of Isis; the surviving reliefs portray Nut, goddess of the sky, giving birth while sitting on a stool in accordance with the ancient local custom.

Customize Your Dream Vacation!
Get in touch with our local experts for an unforgettable journey.
Plan Your TripNearby, to the west, is a deep rectangular hollow enclosed by a boundary wall; this is all that remains of the sacred lake typical of all Egyptian sanctuaries, where the priests had to perform their ritual ablutions several times a day. The most interesting remains, including a well, a sanatorium dating from the Roman period, a Coptic church and two mammisi, one Ptolemaic and the other Roman, are scattered along the western wall and in the northwest corner of the Temple of Hathor.
Mammisi(Pharaohs' birth chapel)
Mammisi, whose name means birth chapel, are small temples typical of the Early Period in which the pharaohs’ children were honored on the pretext of worshipping the birth of the gods. Their children, considered to be on a par with living deities, could only be born within the sacred precincts of the temple. The first building of this king was erected at Dendera by Nectanebo I between 378 and 360 BC, while the adjacent one was built by the order of Augustus.
Tailor Make Your Trip to Egypt Now!

Egypt Oases
- Farafra Oasis Egypt
- Siwa Oasis Egypt
- Bahariya Oasis Egypt
- Dakhla Oasis Egypt
- Kharga Oasis Egypt
- El Fayoum Oasis Egypt
- Oases Practical information
- Valley of El Heiz Western Desert
- English Mountain in Bahariya Oasis
- Black Desert in Egypt
- Badr’s Heritage Museum in Farafra
- White Desert Bahariya Oasis Egypt
- Crystal Mountain Bahariya Egypt
- Whale Valley
- Agabat
Red Sea and Sinai
- Dahab and Nabq Bay Sharm El Sheikh
- Taba and Taba Heights
- What to do in Hurghada
- Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt
- Port Ghalib Red Sea
- Mount Sinai & St. Catherine's Monastery
- El Gouna in Hurghada Red Sea
- Ras Mohamed National Park
- Things to do in The Red Sea and Sinai
- Safaga Port Red Sea Egypt
- Marsa Alam Red Sea Egypt
- The colored canyon and Pharoah Island in Sinai
- Red Sea Snorkeling
- Soma Bay Resort, Red Sea
- Sindbad Submarines Hurghada
- Burning Bush St. Catherine Monastery
- Red Sea & Sinai Practical info
- Do's & Don'ts
- Makadi Bay in Hurghada
Alexandria Attractions
Cairo Attractions
- Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary)
- Bent Pyramid at Dahshur
- Djoser Step Pyramid in Saqqara
- Saint George Church, Old Cairo
- The Egyptian Museum in Cairo
- The Great Pyramids of Giza
- Khan El Khalili Bazaar in Cairo
- Ben-Ezra Synagogue in Cairo
- Suez Canal Egypt
- The church of Saint Barbara in Egypt
- The Great Sphinx in Giza
- Fortress of Babylon in Old Cairo
- Traditional Tanoura Show in Cairo
- Saqqara Stepped Pyramid
- Saladin Citadel & Mohammad Aly Mosque
- Memphis Necropolis in Egypt
- Coptic Cairo
- The Solar Khufu Ship Museum in Egypt
- Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza
- The Valley Temple in Giza Cairo
- Pyramid of Teti at Saqqara
- Snofru’s northern Red Pyramid
- Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo
- Al-Hakim Mosque, Cairo
- Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo
- Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo
- Al Rifai Mosque in Cairo
- Bab Al Futuh in Cairo
- Bab zwayla in Cairo
- Al muizz Street, Cairo
- Al-Hussein Mosque, Cairo
Luxor Attractions
- Mummification Museum in Luxor
- Colossi of Memnon in Luxor
- Hatshepsut Temple in Luxor
- Valley of the Kings
- Kom Ombo Temple
- Dendera Temple Egypt
- Temple of Edfu
- Temple of Khnum in Esna
- Luxor Temple of Egypt
- Luxor Museum Egypt
- Karnak Temple in Luxor Egypt
- Kalabsha Temple Near Aswan
- Edfu Sound and Light Show
- Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temple Luxor Egypt
- The Temple of Abydos in Egypt
- Temple of Hathor Egypt
- Valley of the Queens in Luxor
- Hot Air Balloon Ride in Luxor Egypt
- Ramses II Mortuary Temple
- Temple of Horus
- Seti I Temple
- Luxor Bird Watching
- Medinet Habu
- Ptolemaic Temple of Deir El-Medina
- Temple of Amenhotep III
- Howard Carter House
- Valley of the Nobles
- Asasif Tombs in Luxor
- Tomb of Tutankhamun
Egypt information
Diving in Egypt
Fayoum Attractions
The Nile Valley
- Abu Simbel Temples Egypt
- Cairo and Giza Egypt
- Do's & Don'ts Egypt | Know before you go Egypt
- Aswan City Egypt
- Long Nile Cruise Journey
- Luxor City Egypt (Attractions and Things to Do)
- Felucca Ride on the Nile River
- Which Nile Cruise is the Best for you | Best Nile Cruises
- Dammam City: The Eastern Province's Coastal Jewel:
Aswan Attractions
- Lake Nasser Egypt
- The majestic Philae temple of Aswan
- Abu Simbel Temples
- Aswan City Egypt
- The High Dam in Aswan Egypt
- The Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan
- Philae Sound and Light show
- Kitchener's Island in Aswan
- Nubian Museum in Aswan
- Nubian Villages in Aswan Egypt
- Aswan souk | Aswan Old Market
- Elephantine Island
- Fishing in Lake Nasser
A ‘must see’ opportunity to visit Luxor, Upper Egypt, with this day tour from Port Safaga to Luxor. Known as the old and ancient capital of ‘Thebes’, Luxor contains the largest percentage of Ancient Pharaonic history in Egypt with the best attractions.
Take advantage of this extremely informative Port Safaga to Luxor 2 day tour which is packed full of exciting opportunities to explore the ancient history of ‘Old Thebes’ whilst also enjoying a relaxing felucca sailing and overnight stay in Luxor with several optional tours on offer.
A delightful Luxor tour by road from Luxor to Dendera and Abydos to visit 2 totally contrasting Temples, not always visited as much as the sights of Luxor.
A spectacular early morning sunrise adventure Luxor Tour with breathtaking views over the Valley of the Kings, Nile River and Delta, and the City of Luxor in all its morning glory at sunrise. Not to be missed!
An unbelievable 2 days Luxor Tour from Cairo by Flight to explore the wonders of Luxor, Upper Egypt, for its huge number of Tombs, Temples, and sites.
2 day Luxor shore excursions from Safaga Port Egypt is one of the best-seller shore excursion to Luxor from Safaga cruise port, including excursions to Luxor and Valley of the Kings, tours to Luxor and Karnak Temple, felucca ride on the Nile in Luxor and more.
You Might Also Like

Luxor is not just a cornerstone of any Trip through the Land of the Pharos, It is home to the Magnificent Luxor Temple. Know more about the ancient temple of Luxor, who built, when it was built & more.

Karnak Temple in Luxor, Upper Egypt, is often considered the more restored and original structure than Luxor Temple. However, both Temples hold their unique history.

On the West Bank of the River Nile opposite Luxor City, is the site of the world-renowned ‘Valley of the Kings’ which still is the most well-known site for excavations of antiquities and ancient remains.

The dramatic history of ancient Thebes is highlighted by the Karnak Sound and Light Show. With beautiful descriptions of the ancient artefacts, the presentation recounts the accomplishments of several famous Pharaohs.

The Valley of the Queens in Luxor, which is less well known but has its own distinctive history and architecture, is located close to the famed Valley of the Kings across the West Bank from Luxor.

The sheer fact that British Egyptologist Howard Carter found the most well-known location in prehistoric Egypt—the Tomb of Tutankhamun—left him with a lasting impression on Luxor.

Discover the Temple of the Female ruler of Egypt, Queen Hatshepsut at her mortuary temple whos halls are filled with stories of Hatshepsutes Life, accolades and death awaiting to be unravelled.

The Valley of the Nobles, or "Tombs of the Nobles," offers a fascinating look into the many hundreds of tombs that have been uncovered here via several archaeological investigations over the years.

The Kom Ombo temple is a twin temple, the only one in Egypt. The building was made up of two similar neighbouring parts, each of which may be worshipped independently of the other.

Next to the Temple of Hatshepsut on the West Bank of Luxor, lies the The Asasif Tombs.

British archaeologist Howard Carter and his crew discovered Tutankhamun's relatively intact tomb and burial chamber, which drew international attention owing to the sheer beauty and amazement of this magnificent elaborate Tombs and treasures.

Dendera, originally called Tentyris, was one of the most important religious centers in ancient Egypt. It is situated on the west bank of the Nile, south of Qena in Egypt.

Edfu's Ptolemaic temple is the best preserved and one of the most beautiful in Egypt. Built in typical pharaonic architecture, it depicts the appearance and function of an Egyptian temple, with explanations engraved on the walls.

The Colossi of Memnon were only two sculptures in what many consider to be ancient Egypt's biggest sculptural enterprise. each 23 metres tall and weighs a thousand tonnes

The temple is devoted to the god of creation, the ram-headed divinity Khnum. Tuthmosis III constructed the Temple's foundations in the 18th Dynasty.

The carefully chosen collection of sculptures and artefacts discovered in local tombs and temples is labelled in English and beautifully placed against a black background to highlight the greatest qualities.

The Kalabsha Temple, considered the most magnificent Nubian building after Abu Simbel, was erected in the Ptolemaic period on the ruins of an older one from the reign of Amenhotep II and dedicated to the local god Mandulis, who was linked with Isis and Osiris.

Hot air balloon rides above the Valley of the Kings are one of the most magnificent experiences you're likely to have while in Luxor.

The spectacular tells the history of Horus Temple in Edfu, as well as the tale of Horus (God of Edfu) and his yearly Journey with Hather (goddess of Dandara).


Ramses II's mortuary temple, which was built as part of his funeral complex, took around 20 years to be completed.

The Temple of Hathor at Dendara may not have the majestic grandeur of Seti's building at Abydos, but its fantastic astronomical ceiling and virtually intact rooftop sanctuaries provide a rare glimpse into the sun ceremonies at other cult sites where they have not survived.

The well-preserved Ptolemaic Temple of Horus is Egypt's second largest temple. The site's construction took around 200 years. Well-preserved hieroglyphs have offered information on the religion of Horus and its accompanying temples.

One of the Pharaohs was regarded as one of the finest builders and passed on his abilities and expertise to his son Ramses II. A more elaborate Temple in terms of carvings and design, as opposed to many of the more simple Temples seen around the country.

While touring ancient Thebes, observe the birds of the Nile Valley and notice which species impacted Ancient Egyptian art.

Ancient Egyptian art and architecture have been excellently preserved at Ramses III's Mortuary Temple.

The Ptolemaic Temple of Deir El-Medina, which was erected on the site of three ancient temple constructions, is a particularly rare sight in Egypt.

Luxor's Mummification Museum, located at the northern end of the Nile Shopping Centre below the Corniche, gives more room to ideas about death and the afterlife than to the actual practise of mummification and scarcely treads new ground.

Learn about the history, location, and more of the Temple of Amenhotep III, one of Ancient Egypt's most fascinating monuments!