Temple of Kalabsha, Ancient Egyptian temple in New Kalabsha, Egypt
The Temple of Kalabsha is an Egyptian temple on Kalabsha Island in Lake Nasser, built from sandstone blocks and featuring numerous columns with carved capitals. The structure spans several rooms with carved reliefs on the walls depicting religious scenes and deities.
The temple was built around 30 BC under Emperor Augustus and replaced an earlier shrine dedicated to the god Mandulis. In medieval times the building was converted into a Christian church before later being recognized again as an archaeological site.
The temple walls display inscriptions from multiple cultures, showing how Egyptians, Greeks, and early Christians gathered at this place. You can still see today how different faiths shaped the rooms and their meaning.
The temple sits on an island and is only accessible by boat, with regular departures from the Aswan area. Bring water and sun protection, as the site is open and sun-exposed.
In the 1960s the entire temple was relocated to protect it from the waters of the newly created Lake Nasser. This massive relocation of the sandstone structure remains one of the largest rescue projects in Near Eastern archaeology.
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