Kalabsha Temple

What is Kalabsha Temple?

It is the largest freestanding temple of Egyptian Nubia, built for the local god Mandulis in the reign of Augustus and rescued from Lake Nasser by a West German team. It originally stood at Talmis, modern Kalabsha, about 50 km south of Aswan. Between 1961 and 1963 it was taken apart into roughly 13,000 blocks and rebuilt on a promontory just south of the Aswan High Dam, a site now called New Kalabsha. In thanks, Egypt gave Germany a decorated gateway from the temple, now in Berlin.

Mandulis was a Nubian solar deity, shown with an elaborate crown of rams' horns, plumes and cobras. The temple's builders placed him in the company of Isis and Osiris, as at Philae, and the decoration was never finished, which is why some walls are crisply carved while others are blank.

What do you see inside the temple?

A stone causeway leads to a pylon, an open court, a pillared hall and three inner rooms, all enclosed by an outer wall you can walk right round. It is a textbook Graeco-Roman temple plan at a manageable scale.

• The pylon: climb the internal stairs, when open, for views over the lake and the High Dam.
• The hypostyle hall: floral column capitals and reliefs of a Roman emperor, dressed as a pharaoh, offering to Mandulis and Isis.
• The inscriptions: look for later texts carved on the walls, including a Greek inscription of Silko, a 5th-century AD king of the Nobadae, celebrating victory over the Blemmyes, and a Roman-era decree ordering pigs to be kept out of the town's temple.
• The sanctuary: reliefs of the emperor before the gods, with traces of paint.

Our guide to Roman Egypt explains why emperors who never set foot in Nubia appear here as pharaohs.

Why is Beit el-Wali worth the short walk?

Beit el-Wali is a small rock-cut temple of Ramesses II, from early in his reign, whose courtyard reliefs of Nubian tribute are some of the liveliest in Egypt. It stands a few minutes' walk from Kalabsha, also moved here from its original site.

On one wall the young king fights Syrians and Libyans; on the other, Nubians bring the riches of the south: rings of gold, ebony logs, ivory tusks, leopard skins, ostrich eggs and feathers, and live animals including a giraffe, monkeys and cattle with oddly shaped horns. Inside, the vestibule and sanctuary keep bright blues, reds and yellows. The British Museum displays painted casts of these reliefs, taken in the 19th century before the temple was moved.

What is the Kiosk of Kertassi?

It is a small, roofless Roman kiosk with Hathor-headed columns at its entrance, rescued from Qertassi, about 40 km south of Aswan. Standing on the edge of the headland above the water, it is the most photogenic structure at New Kalabsha, especially in late-afternoon light. It is thought to have been a waystation shrine linked to Isis and to the sandstone quarries nearby. Its elegant proportions echo the better-known Trajan's Kiosk at Philae.

Scattered around the site you will also see rock stelae and fragments salvaged from other drowned Nubian monuments, so allow time to wander.

How do you get to Kalabsha?

Drive about 20 minutes from central Aswan to the jetty on the west side of the High Dam, then take a motorboat for a crossing of roughly 10 minutes. Boats are hired at the jetty, and your guide or driver arranges this on a private tour. Some southbound Lake Nasser cruises include Kalabsha on embarkation day, so check before booking a separate visit.

• Time: 1.5–2 hours door to door from the dam, or a half-day combined with the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk.
• Best time: early morning or after about 3pm; the site has almost no shade.
• Tickets: bought on site and covering the whole New Kalabsha group at the time of writing; check prices on egymonuments.gov.eg.
• Crowds: minimal. It is one of the few temples near Aswan where you may be alone.

Who should add Kalabsha to an Aswan stay?

Anyone with a spare half-day in Aswan who wants a taste of the Lake Nasser temples without a cruise. It suits repeat visitors who have already seen Philae, photographers, and anyone curious about the UNESCO rescue. If you are sailing Lake Nasser anyway, you may see it on board; if not, it is the one rescued Nubian temple that is easy to reach from town. For background on what the lake covered, visit the Nubian Museum first.