Richard Todorov
AH 192
Prof. Naymark
January 19, 2015

AH 192 Workshop: Art Museums of New York Report
Temple of Dendur

One of the most remarkable pieces of art that I came across during the very first museum visit was that of the Temple of Dendur. It was the very fist day of our class where we visited and explored the Egyptian exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The temple and its presence stuck with me ever since I first saw, and it still does. Even more so the art, architectural detail of the temple and the reliefs, as well as the history of how it was constructed made it that much more distinctive to me. Its initial history is just as fascinating and incredible as is the manner of which the United States and The Met came to come possession of it. Truly, in conjunction to the vividly striking exhibit that houses the temple in The Met and the remarkable traits of the temple, does it leave a lasting impression to any visitor.

The art of the temple shows evidence that different people used the temple and that the temple is not like that of the pyramids. Aside from being much smaller then the pyramids that we are familiar with, the Temple of Dendur was not used as a funerary temple but was rather used as a sort of cult temple for offerings. The reliefs on the temple convey more then five different kinds of gods, which is what Egyptians generally, do in reliefs of temples. Other areas where there weren’t Egyptian reliefs are initials of visitors to the temple. These visitors came to Nubia, the original location of the temple, in the 1800s. So aside from serving several purposes to different people, it presented an appeal and fascination to new civilizations many decades after it’s founding. Another interesting fact is that this temple is actually of a much later time in Egypt where in 15 B.C. it was commissioned and 10 B.C. it was completed. It was located farther from the common Egyptian locations where other temples were constructed in Nubia. Nubia is an area located in Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan. The temple was located on the edge of the Nile, which would end up being the reason for its need to be relocated.

Not only does the location make the temple unique when compared to others, but so to does its origin of commission. A pharaoh or an Egyptian did actually not commission the temple. The Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus instead commissioned it in 15 B.C. What astonishes me is that Augustus had it built entirely in accordance with local traditions and beliefs of the Egyptians at that time. The temple has both religious and esthetic features but there are also depictions of Augustus before various gods. Another unique feature, that Professor Naymark had us try to find and examine, is that the relief carvings are done differently from the outside then they are from the inside. On the outside there are relief carvings of Augustus and gods that are depicted in a sunken relief while the inside reliefs are raised so that they can more easily be seen in indirect sunlight. Even more differing depictions of Augustus are made as in one of the reliefs he is identified as emperor while it is conveyed on others that he is an emperor as well as an “autocrat”, another title of the emperor. It is very astonishing for me to have seen and found out that as opposed to many other conquering rulers throughout history, Augustus presented a sort of respect and honor to the Egyptians by keeping their traditions as opposed to entirely demolishing them.

The original location of the temple was at a left bank of the Nile River. In in 1963 the Aswan High Dam was being constructed to aid with droughts and an increasing need for water. However, the water level began to rise and could not be held back by the base sandstone of the temple. The Dendur Temple, along with others in the region began to flood and was going to become completely submerged by the rising water. Several countries were aiding Egypt in the construction of the dam in an effort to allow for an abundant amount of water to the people in need. In addition, other countries began to aid the Egyptian government in relocating and preserving temples that were being flooded in the region. The United States aided in both fronts and as a sign of appreciation, the Egyptian government gave the temple as a gift to the United States in 1965. It would cost the United States more then $9 million to transport there “gift” to the United States and included 642 blocks weighing in at more then 800 tons. Finally, after many bidders and competition for possession of the temple, it was awarded to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1967 and was formed in the Sackler Wing in 1978 and has remained on exhibition there ever since. I found it rather ironic that the temple was going to be flooded and lost had it not been for the aid of the United States and other countries, yet the cause of the flooding was done by the Egyptian government not taking proper precautions and the transportation being paid by the United States. Nevertheless, it was worth it.

In conclusion my favorite piece of art that I saw during the workshop was the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was on the first day of our journey that I this incredible temple and appreciated its uniqueness both artistically and historically. The grandeur of the temple is greatly enhanced by the beautiful Sackler Wing in the Met that exhibits this temple. Furthermore, the water pool in front of the temple conveys the original setting of the temple by the Nile and the magnificent large glass wall on the side of the museum allows for natural lighting to entire as well as illustrating the cliffs that surrounded the temple t its original location. Some of the readings that I came across about the temple illustrate that it is the only Egyptian temple outside of Egypt where viewers can enter inside it and walk around it. That is absolutely astonishing and just makes the temple, and the visit to it, that much more memorable and enjoyable. Most importantly, I greatly enjoyed the course, learned a great deal that I will never forget and look forward to revisiting many of the locations that we visited. Thank you again fro the experience, I will always appreciate it.