Kalabsha Temple
Approx. Time: 2 hoursActivity Level: Easy to Moderate
Dedicated to fertility, this temple was the largest freestanding structure in its time! Kalabsha Temple, originally built at Kalabsha, (Talmis) was moved to its present location at New Kalabsha (Chellal) in 1970, together with other monuments from Nubia, including the Kiosk of Qertassi (Kertassi). Also nearby and easily reachable by taxi or boat is Beit al-Wali. This sandstone edifice was built by the Roman Emperor Octavius Augustus (30 to 14 BC) and dedicated to the fertility and Nubian Solar deity known as Mandulis (also known as Merwel, who was the Nubian counterpart of Horus).
It was the largest free-standing temple of Egyptian Nubia, and the design of Kalabsha Temple is classical for the Ptolemaic period with pylons, a courtyard, a hypostyle hall and a three room sanctuary. However, the Pylon is offset, which creates a trapezoid in the courtyard beyond. A chapel suggests that it was built on the site of an earlier structure created by Ptolemy IX. There is also a small chapel and gate from Kalabsha on Elephantine Island, and another similar gate built by Augustus was given to the Agyptisches Museum in West Berlin.
Courtesy of Egypt Tourism Board
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