2022 . Mar . 17

Temple of Derr ( History, Location, Importance and Description)

One of the temples that the Great King Ramses II built was the Temple of Derr, located in Nubia. Ramses II was known for his buildings and battles; one of the lands he conquered was Nubia, where the Temple of Derr was located with other temples he constructed.

Who Built the Temple of Derr?

Ramses The Great

Ramses II is one of the famous kings of ancient Egypt; he might be the longest-ruling king that Egypt ever had, as his reign lasted for over 60 years. He was known to be a great warrior and magnificent builder as well; we all have heard about his famous battle of Kadesh and his famous Abu Simbel Temple.

When was the Temple of Derr built?

The Temple of Derr is one of the several buildings that Ramses II built along with his capital "Pi-Ramses," Ramesseum Temple, and Abu Simbel Temples. He built the Temple of Derr during his 30th year of reign, to be more specific.

Where To Find The Temple of Derr

The temple was originally located 208 Km south of Aswan; it was built in a rock-cut style, the favorite building style for Ramses II. In the 1960s, the temple was relocated along with a few other temples after starting building the High Dam of Aswan. Its new location is near the temple of Amada, on the side of Lake Nasser.

Why Was The Dam Built ?

Before jumping to conclusions about the High Dam, let me explain why these temples were moved. Egypt was suffering from the Nile flooding that caused a lot of damage; they initiated the construction of the High Dam to save Egypt from the floods.

Why Did They Move to the Temple of Derr?

The construction of the High Dam had consequences; it was going to submerge several monuments with water. With the help of UNESCO, Egypt saved the temples at risk and moved them to different locations. Some of the temples moved were Abu Simbel temple, the temple of Amada, Wadi el Sebua temple, and the Temple of Derr.

Temple of Derr Description:

The Temple of Derr was built in the typical theme of Ramses II Nubian temples; the ancient Egyptians named it "Temple of Ramses-in-the-house-of-Re." It was built in dedication to God Ptah and Amon, also Ramses II as a deified person.
Built cut into a cliff; the temple had two pillared halls and rear sanctuaries. The ceiling is painted with a series of vultures along the center axis, with bright colors that fit the Great Ramses' preference.

About Temple of Derr Walls

Like many other Nubian Temples, early Christians used this one as a church, so some of the decorations were lost. The pylon and court also disappeared, but some ruined pillared hall reliefs still exist. It depicts Ramses II's campaigns on Nubia, showing the king killing his enemies and accompanying his famous pet lion.

Why is it important to visit the Temple Of Derr ?

The Temple of Derr might not be a famous tourist site, but it's worth a visit along with the temple of Amada that lies next to it. You can go and wonder how they relocated the temple and rebuilt it again, cut into a cliff. This stop you can make while cruising Lake Nasser, it is a very unique trip to make.