From the third century after Christ theregion remained under the control ofdesert nomads, outside Rome’ssphere of influence. Construction of the temple wasstarted early in the second centurybefore Christ by Meroitic kingAdikhalamani, who built a chapeldedicated to the gods Amun and Isis.This chapel, decorated with reliefs, isone of the few places that records

Adikhalamani’s reign. Later, variouspharaohs of the Ptolemaic dynastyerected new rooms around theoriginal nucleus, giving it theappearance it preserves to date.After Egypt was annexed to theRoman Empire, Emperors Augustus,Tiberius, and possibly Adriancompleted the temple’s constructionand decoration. With the closing ofthe sanctuaries to Isis in Philae in the

sixth century, the temple was finallyabandoned.

DEBOD IN MADRIDIn response to the construction ofAswan High Dam and the resultingthreat to the monuments andarcheological remains of Lower Nubia,in 1960 the UNESCO launched aninternational campaign to rescue theendangered monuments.

In 1968 Spain received the Temple ofDebod as a token of gratitude for theaid provided in saving Abu Simbel.Reconstructed and opened to thepublic in 1972, the Temple of Debod isone of the few architecturaltestimonies from ancient Egypt that can be seen in its entirety outside Egypt itself, and the only one with its unique characteristics to be found in Spain.

The temple of Debod was located inLower Nubia, in southern Egypt, verynear the first cataract and a majorreligious center dedicated to thegoddess Isis on the island of Philae. This region, bordering on the powerfulkingdom of Meroe, was disputed byEgyptian and Meroitic rulers until thefirst century before Christ, when theRoman Emperor Augustusestablished the definitive border.

Debod,a ptolemaic temple

1 · The god Thot purifying the Pharaohwith water, before the god Imhotep.

2 · King Adikhalamani (at the right)consecrates the temple of the god Amun.

3 · Adikhalamani offering a tray of bread to Amun.

4 · Adikhalamani worshipping the godArensnuphis and the goddessTefnut.

5 · Adikhalamani offering a jar of waterto the Pharaoh of Bigeh and thegoddess Anukis.

6 · Adikhalamani offering a tray of foodto the god Harpocrates and thegoddess Wadjet.

7 · Adikhalamani pouring water beforethe god Khnum and the goddessSatis.

8 · Adikhalamani offering two jars of

milk to Amun and the goddess Mut.9 · Adikhalamani offering two vases of

wine to Amun and Mut. 10 · Adikhalamani before the god

Khnum-Re.11 · Adikhalamani offering a statuette

depicting Justice to Amun.

Reliefs from the chapel of Adikhalamani. North wall (200 - 180 B.C.)1 · The god Horus purifying the

Pharaoh with water, before the godImhotep.

2 · King Adikhalamani offering abreast-plate to the goddess Isis.

3 · Adikhalamani offering a bread toIsis.

4 · Adikhalamani offering an amulet tothe god Min and the goddessNephthys.

5 · Adikhalamani offering a statuettedepicting Justice to the god Re-Harakhti and the goddess Wepset.

6 · Adikhalamani offering a tray of food

to the god Harpocrates and thegoddess Nekhbet.

7 · Adikhalamani offering an amulet tothe god Horus and the goddessHathor.

8 · Adikhalamani offering incense andlibation to the god Osiris and the

goddess Isis.9 · Adikhalamani offering a necklace to

Osiris and Isis.10 · Adikhalamani offering two vases of

wine to a goddess (disappeared).11 · Adikhalamani offering two sistra

to Isis.

Reliefs from the chapel of Adikhalamani. South wall (200 - 180 B.C.)10 8 6 4 2 1

911 7 5 3

1 2 4 6 8 10

3 5 7 9 11

1 · Hall2 · Chapel of Adikhalamani3 · Inner hall4 · Naos chapel5 · Side chapels6 · Crypts7 · Uabet Room (Audiovisual)8 · Mammisi9 · Corridor10 · Staircase

Lowerlevel

11 · Osiris Chapel 12 · Terrace

Upperlevel

89

5

53

2

7

46

6

10

1

12

11

rules two thousand two hundredyears ago.Adikhalamani ordered the building ofthe chapel dedicated to Amun, themain god of the Egyptian and Meroiticpantheons and to Isis, goddess ofmagic, wife and sister of Osiris whosemain sanctuary was in the island ofPhilae, a few kilometers north ofDebod.Later, Egyptian monarchs of the

Ptolemaic dynasty and the Romanemperors Augustus and Tiberius builtnew rooms around the small originalchapel, adding pylons, courts, aprocessional way and a landing quayon the river Nile. The temple was the “house of God”for the Egyptians, the place where thegod physically lived. It was a holyspace, built specifically to house andprotect the god.

The pharaoh was the only one trainedto address the gods and perform pre-written rituals, although in practicethis responsibility fell on the priests,or “servants of God”, the only onesapart from the king who had accessto the inside of the temple. In Debod, in common with otherEgyptian temples, the most importantrituals took place every day atsunrise.

The high priest would enter theSanctuary and when the sunappeared over the horizon, he wouldlift the shrines containing the Amunand Isis’ statues. This marked the beginning of thecomplex ritual in which images werewashed, perfumed, purified, clothedand decorated.The offerings of food and drinkformed an important part of the cult.

Debod, 1 February 1829Jean François Champollion examinesthe inscriptions in relief. Behind him, ayoung Nubian holds a candle.

- Light, more light. Here -- A-ta-ra-mon. Ataramon. Of course!the etiopian king

Six years after deciphering the ancientEgyptian writing system, Jean François

Champollion achieved his ultimatedream; he traveled to the country of thepharaohs to put his theories to the test.Among other places, he visited theTemple of Debod. After lying in silencefor centuries, the names of the godsand the ancient kings were uttered onceagain in their temple. Today we know that the name ofAtarramon corresponds to the name ofthe Meroitic King Adikhalamani, who

Debod, a ptolemaic temple

Bread, wine, beer, meats and fishwere placed on small altars beforethe statues of the gods. They werelater taken away and distributedamong the priests and staff in thetemple. Finally, Amun was offered a smallstatue of Maat, daughter of Ra, thesun god. Maat represented Orderand Justice and was the real food ofthe gods.Once the ceremony was over, thestatues were returned to theirshrines. The priest left the Sanctuary,taking care to clean up all traces ofthe ceremony, including his ownfootprints.

At midday and in the evening, othermore simple ceremonies took placein the adjacent chapels, whereimages were kept of other godswhich lived in the temple. There were important festivitiesduring the year, includingprocessions and visits of the statuesof other gods of nearby sanctuaries.During the first days of the new year,the statues of the gods were taken tothe terrace of the temple to bebathed in the sun light. At othertimes, the birth of the god child wascelebrated in the mammisi.In Debod, Philae and other Nubiansanctuaries dedicated to the

goddess Isis, these ancient cultslived on until the 6th Century, whenthe arrival Christianity removed themfor good. The gods abandoned theirtemples, and the signs andsculptured images, their meaningforgotten, remained as the onlywitnesses of a thousand year oldreligion.

FINALOutside the temple, Champollionwrite a letter to his brother

Dear brother:We arrived at Debod at two o’clock inthe afternoon. We passed below

three unadorned pylons anddiscovered that they had beenmainly built by an Ethiopian kingcalled Aterramon, who must havebeen the succesor to Ergamenes ofDakka. The temple is dedicated toAmun Re, lord of Debod and toHathor and on a secondary level toIsis and Osiris and was continued,although not finished, by emperorsAugustus and Tiberius. In theundecorated sancturary rest theremains of a granite vessel from thePtolomaic period.

Yours affectionately,Jean François