Discovering the history behind the mysterious Temple of Debod.

On the 1st December I was in Madrid after a trip from Tel Aviv. To break up the travelling I planned 24 hours in the Spanish capital.

Wandering around the Plaza España and Palacio Reial was a great way to recharge the batteries after 10 days away. I´d already seen the Temple of Debod a while back but didnt have much time there. On this recent trip I wanted to revisit this Ancient Egyptian temple.

Temple of Debod

As I love historic sites and this monument close to the Plaza de España really caught my imagination when I visited Madrid. When you get to the park, Parque del Cuartel de la Montaña it also has some stunning panoramic views of the capital and across to the Royal Palace.

It´s not just the Temple of Debod there.

From Egypt to Madrid

This impressive monument was brought to Madrid in 1968 as a gift from the Egyptian state. Spain had helped to save historical sites such as the Abu Simbel temples and other archaeological sites during the construction of the Aswan dam. If it was not for this intervention, they would have been underwater now. The area is now part of the resevoir.

In 1898 Whilst still located on its original site part of this monument collapsed. This four columned structure stood close to the entrance of the chapel, more delicate in structure this was sadly removed from the site. However this incident helped to raise awareness of the problems of conservation of these ancient buildings in Aswan. Just 70 years after this damage the temple was given to Spain.

Egyptian Temple

Open to the public since 1972. You can visit for free. They allow small groups to go in at one time. The queue outside often looks long but it moves quickly as the inside doesn´t take long to visit at all.

Inside the temple there are carvings in the stone walls of different eygptian gods and symbolic offerings to them. The chapel is dedicated to the God Amun. Later extended and dedicated to Isis of Philae. Built in 200 BC it really is a privilege to visit this site. The only one of its kind in Spain. Not many Ancient Eygptian temples are found outside of Egypt.

The visit takes less than 30 mins to do but I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Madrid. If you love photography Sunset at this site is magical.