Temple of Debod: A Guide to Madrid’s Egyptian Temple

Take an evening stroll through Madrid’s Parque de la Montaña and you will come across a mystical monument standing sentinel above the city. The graceful pylons and inner sanctum beyond belong to the Temple of Debod, an Ancient Egyptian temple transported from its original location on the banks of the River Nile to the heart of Madrid in the second half of the 20th century. Today, it’s one of the few places people can experience the rich cultural heritage and history of Egypt without travelling to Africa. It’s also one of the most unique, must-visit attractions in Madrid.

So, when was the Temple of Debod built? The story of this sacred monument begins some 2,200 years ago in Nubia, a region that now includes southern Egypt and northern Sudan. It was built on the banks of the mighty River Nile – nine miles south of Aswan and close to the island temple complex at Philae – on the orders of Adikhalamani, the King of Meroë. At first, the temple was little more than a small chapel dedicated to two of the most important deities in the Egyptian pantheon: the god Amun and the goddess Isis.

Isis was considered to be the divine mother of the pharaoh. She was also the mother of the sky god, Horus, and according to legend, the site of the temple was believed to be the place where she gave birth to him. In the centuries that followed, the temple became an important place of pilgrimage and was expanded by the pharaohs of the Ptolemaic dynasty and the Roman emperors Augustus, Tiberius and Hadrian. It remained a place of active worship until the 6th century when Christianity emerged as the predominant religion in Nubia.

By the dawn of the modern era, the Temple’s importance was historic rather than spiritual. However, its existence was threatened in 1960 when work commenced on the Aswan High Dam – an ambitious project that would result in one of the world’s largest embankment dams. The purpose of the dam was to provide greater control over the annual flooding of the Nile, to store water for irrigation, and to generate the hydroelectricity needed to support plans to industrialise Egypt. Its completion resulted in the creation of a vast reservoir known as Lake Nasser.

The area flooded by Lake Nasser included 22 Ancient Egyptian sites of critical historic importance. Among them were the great temples at Abu Simbel and Philae and the Temple of Debod. To prevent the destruction of these extraordinary places, UNESCO formed the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia, a coalition that brought experts from 50 countries together to undertake “the greatest archaeological rescue operation of all time”. Their mission? To move the temples stone by stone to higher ground.

The rescue operation was successful. In gratitude for the coalition’s effort, Egypt gifted six temples to the countries that had been most instrumental in preserving them. The Temple of Debod was given to Spain, while others ended up in the National Museum of Sudan, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States, the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in the Netherlands, the Museo Egizio in Italy and Germany’s Egyptian Museum of Berlin. The Egyptian temple in Madrid is the only one that still stands out in the elements, a decision which, although controversial from a preservation point of view, makes it one of the most authentic and atmospheric Nubian rescue projects in the world.

But how did the relocation actually happen? In 1961 the Temple of Debod was carefully studied before being dismantled and carried stone by stone to Aswan’s Elephantine Island. It remained in storage for nine years before being collected by a Spanish transportation company and taken first to Alexandria, then on a ship to Valencia. Trucks carried the stones to their final destination in Parque de la Montaña, Madrid. The site chosen for the temple has an interesting (if bloody) history of its own. The military barracks that once stood here were the starting point for the uprising of July 1936, which triggered the Spanish Civil War. It was also the place where rebels of the Dos de Mayo uprising in 1808 were executed by a Napoleonic firing squad.

If you’re interested in the history of the barracks known as Cuartel de la Montaña, be sure to visit the nearby Prado Museum where the execution of the Dos de Mayo rebels is commemorated in a painting by Francisco Goya.

Once the stones of the temple were safely received at their new location, the awe-inspiring task of reassembling them began. The project took two years and preserved the original east-to-west orientation, although photos of the temple in Egypt show that the pylons were put back together in the reverse order. The Temple of Debod was opened to the public again in 1972 as the only authentic Ancient Egyptian monument in Spain.

The Temple of Debod consists of two pylons, or monumental gates, erected on a walkway that leads to the central, enclosed temple. Inside the temple you can view different vestibules added by the many pharaohs and emperors who contributed to its construction. Of particular interest is the original Adikhalamani Chapel built by the Meroite king who started it all. This is the oldest part of the temple with walls adorned by reliefs and hieroglyphs that depict Adikhalamani presenting offerings to different gods and goddesses. Other highlights include scale models, exhibits of statuary and other artefacts, and audiovisual displays projected onto the walls.

Although the temple’s interior is fascinating and well worth viewing if you can, be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time queuing. This is because a maximum of 30 visitors are allowed in at a time for up to 30 minutes. Last entry is 15 minutes before closing and you should be aware that opening hours are somewhat arbitrary, with semi-frequent closures for events or conservation work. For many, a view of the temple’s exterior and a wander through the park and into neighbouring Parque del Oeste offers the most rewarding experience. Expect panoramic city views, historic statues, fountains and meandering paths that lead to a fragrant rose garden.

If you’re looking for one of the most romantic things to do in Madrid at night, time your visit to the Temple of Debod with sunset. As the light fades and the sky is painted with breathtaking streaks of rose, red and gold, the temple walls are illuminated. Their glowing stones are reflected in the mirrored pool that surrounds the site, and a sense of shared wonder descends as locals and visitors alike gather to watch the enchanting spectacle of sunset over a building that has stood for two millennia on two different continents. When night has fallen, wander back down the hillside into the bustling restaurant and bar scene on Calle de Ferraz.

For the best Temple of Debod photos, don’t cancel out the ambient light with a flash. Instead, use a tripod and a low shutter speed to capture the soft beauty of the illuminated walls against the backdrop of a sunset sky.

If you’re planning to visit, good news – there’s no need to book Temple of Debod tickets, since it’s one of the best free things to do in Madrid. Here’s everything you need to know:

• Address: Calle de Ferraz, 1, Moncloa-Aravaca, 28008 Madrid
• Cost: Free entry
• Hours: 10am to 8pm, Tuesday to Sunday 
• Getting there: The temple is a 10-minute walk from Ventura Rodriguez, Plaza de España and Príncipe Pío metro stations as well as the train station at Príncipe Pío. The closest bus stop is Templo de Debod (buses 62 and 74).

Madrid’s excellent bike share scheme, BiciMAD, allows you to travel easily to the temple from all over the city. If you’re looking for somewhere central as a base for your adventures, check out ibis Styles Madrid Prado or Mercure Madrid Centro. The former, a 10-minute cycle from the temple, is an affordable choice for families (kids under 15 stay free), with clean, contemporary rooms and a locally inspired breakfast buffet. The latter is a 15-minute bike ride from the temple and offers the luxury of a peaceful yet central location and suites with terrace views.

So, if you’ve always wanted to visit the age-old temples and museums of Ancient Egypt but haven’t had the time or budget, there’s a solution right here in Europe. The magnificent Temple of Debod is an authentic Nubian treasure from the second century BC, now given new life as one of the most instantly recognisable and iconic Spanish monuments.