Kalabsha temple Aswan Egypt tours, booking, prices, reviews
Kalabsha temple Aswan Egypt is a Nubian temple which located south of Aswan. In fact, the temple was a part of the rescue operation for monuments which threatened by waters of Lake Nasser. Kalabsha temple Aswan transported to the present site courtesy of the German Federal Republic. It was in a salvage operation which sponsored by UNESCO in the 1960. The temple original position was 56 km south of Aswan. It was until it dismantled and moved to the island which now called New Kalabsha. The island is just south of the Aswan High Dam. It seen from the Dam through a good pair of binoculars. The temple built over an earlier New Kingdom site. It was during the Roman Period for Caesar Augustus. In fact, the temple dedicated to Isis, Osiris and Horus-Mandulis.
Horus-Mandulis was the Roman aspect of the Nubian solar god, Merwel. The temple indeed is the finest example of a freestanding temple in Nubia. Moreover, it constructed from sandstone blocks. A granite gateway which discovered when the temple relocated. It given to the Berlin Agyptisches Museum. The quay leads to a pylon which built at a slight angle to the rest of the temple. Kalabsha temple Aswan built in the traditional Egyptian style. An open court, Ptolemaic columns and screen walls lead to the hypo-style hall. The hall decorated with scenes of rituals depicting Min and Khnum. The scenes also include other gods of Southern Egypt. The sanctuary area consists of three chambers. Each chamber leads into the one behind, with a pair of columns in each room.
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The Holy of Holies was in the farthest room, which later used as a Christian church. Augustus depicted on the walls offering to Mandulis. There is a passage surrounding the inner temple building like other Ptolemaic temples. The temple complex is among the most important of the salvaged monuments on Lake Nasser. It includes the main temple of Kalabsha, Beit el-Wali and Gerf Hussein. Furthermore, it also includes the Kiosk of Qertassi. A path has paved with slabs of Aswan granite which connects Kalabsha temple in Aswan. In fact, it is to encourage visitors to tour the island. The site has cafeteria and open-air museum. In fact, the temple is a rock-cut temple. It constructed during the reign of Ramses II and dedicated to Amun and the local gods of Nubia and Aswan.
Moreover, the temple later known as “the house of the holy man”. It was because it used as a hermit’s dwelling. There are scenes of victory in battles. They show Ramses and his sons against the Nubian tribesmen. The scenes also include tribute brought to the king of animals and ivory. Many preserved painted reliefs show the King before the gods. The blocks of Gerf Hussein are one of the monuments which transported to New Kalabsha in the 1960. In fact, they never reconstructed, left neglected and overgrown. It was until they re-discovered on the island during recent restoration work. In fact, the restoration work done by by Egyptian archaeologists. The blocks were actually a dismantled rock-cut temple. It known as Per-Ptah or the “House of Ptah”.
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In fact, it founded during the reign of Ramses II by Setau, Viceroy of Nubia. The temple of Gerf Hussein, which now reconstructed and approached through a large colonnaded court. It dedicated to the cults of Re-Horakhte and Amun-Re. Inside the rock-temple are six pillars which support the ceiling of a large hall. Each one engaged colossal statues of Ramses II. At the rear, there is an antechamber which leads to three small chapels. It is with the largest central sanctuary which depicts Ramses II before the gods. To the south of the main Kalabsha temple Aswan, located the Roman Kiosk of Qertassi. In fact, it originally built 30 km south of Aswan.
Two Hathor columns grace its entrance and four papyrus columns support the roof lintels. It is with screen walls between. The kiosk is tiny and no other decoration survived. It known as a symbolic birthplace of the gods. Another rock-cut temple known as the Chapel of Dedwen. It contains reliefs of an unidentified pharaoh offering to the Nubian god Dedwen. This one reconstructed by an Egyptian team from the SCA.
How to get to Kalabsha temple Aswan Egypt:
The island of New Kalabsha, can reached by taxi from Aswan, then a boat to the island’s quay. In fact, a new wooden dock constructed. It makes it possible for Nasser’s Lake cruise boats to visit the island as part of their itinerary. New Kalabsha became another of Aswan’s most important tourist destinations.
