HIST & MYTH: Temple of Debod - Ancient Egypt in Madrid

Written by Ben Kesp. 

Temple of Debod, Madrid 

Sitting in the heart of Madrid sits a structure from ancient Egypt dating from the 2nd century BC. On a recent excursion to the capital of Spain, the Temple of Debod was one of my first stops which additionally has commanding views of the city. 

The work on the temple originally started under the instruction of the Meroe King Adijalamani, who dedicated the chapel to the God Amun and Goddess Isis in the 2nd century BC. The temple was added to by various pharaohs of the Ptolemaic Dynasty enlarging and highly decorating it with magnificent motifs and reliefs. 

The temple was abandoned during the 6th century AD following the conversion to Christianity and remained in Egypt until the 20th century when it was gifted by the Egyptian Government to the city of Madrid where it found a new resting place in the Cuartel de la Montana Park. The transport of the temple from Egypt happened during the construction of the Aswan Dam to protect it from flooding and possible destruction. 

Today locals and visitors alike can enjoy this ancient marvel which has been open to the public since 1971 following its reconstruction stone by stone exactly as it stood in Egypt including its East/West orientation. However recently, visits within the temple have been restricted for conservation purposes and only a certain number of people are allowed to enter during each visit. If you love everything to do with Ancient Egypt, then the Temple of Debod is certainly worth a visit – a temple dedicated to the ancient gods of Egypt.