Temple of Debod | Exploring Madrid ....

elsiekjay (76)in GEMS • 4 years ago

I love exploring and anythig that screams adventure or history.

This past weekend, I happened to visit one of the smallest but rather very popular parks in the city. It's also best know for hosting a historical temple from Egypt.

THE TEMPLE OF DEBOD...

This is an Egyptian temple dating back to the 2nd century BC, transported to Madrid’s Cuartel de la Montaña Park. The temple was donated to Spain by the Egyptian government to save it from floods following the construction of the great Aswan Dam.

HISTORY

This temple was Started by a Meroite king, expanded by several Ptolemaic monarchs, finished by Roman emperors, forgotten for 12 centuries, submerged under the waters of the Nile,and eventually rescued! ... An exciting journey through 2,200 years of history, which you get to learn and experience right at the center of Madrid..

It was a great experience. There weren't as many people in the park and it normally has. Seeing it's summer holidays, a lot of people who reside withing the city have left so I couldn't have chosen a better time to explore this place.

The grass around the park was super green as well, enjoyed sleeping on it as I watched the birds, cooling off and having a some-what mini picnic.

Normally, they have visiting hours for the temple if you'd like to go in and see it first hand, but given the current covid19 status, the schedule may have changed so perhaps it's best to confirm before you plan your trip here.

This spot is normally filled up with water in winter/other seasons, bit it's long evaporated with the summer heat wave. Still nice nonetheless.

FUN FACTS

In the 6th century AD, following Nubia’s conversion to Christianity, the temple was sealed off and abandoned. In the 20th century, owing to the construction of the dam, the Egyptian government gave the temple as a gift to the city of Madrid and it was transported and rebuilt stone by stone in its current location. It was opened to the public in 1972. The reconstruction in Madrid kept the building’s original orientation; that is to say, from East to West. To help visitors understand the meaning of this magnificent location, its decorative motifs and its history, scale models and videos can be seen and audiovisual material is projected on the walls.

The inside of the monument is currently closed to visitors, although you can still walk along the walkway during the temple opening hours.

There's also a spot in the park where you can view the palace from far. I think this is my next adventure. It's not free to explore the palace, but I am all up for more adventure so sign me up!

Terribly wishing I still had my canon so I can get better quality images, but until I can figure that out, hope you enjoy this average quality images.

Whatever you do, don't be shy to travel and explore if you have the chance to.