Egypt
Qena, Egypt
Qena: The Temple of Hathor at Dendera, Across the Nile
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What to Expect
Qena is a provincial capital on the east bank of the Nile, about 63 km north of Luxor, and Nile cruises call here for the Temple of Hathor at Dendera on the opposite bank. Most cruises run only between Luxor and Aswan, so Dendera is a stop on the longer itineraries.
- The temple stands across the river from the town, a few kilometers to the southwest.
- Your cruise line confirms where the ship moors and how you cross to the temple.
- Once you reach the temple, the site is small enough to see everything on foot.
- Qena is the capital of Qena Governorate and a market town on the main road between Luxor and the Red Sea.
Qena on Your Own
Your cruise line confirms where the ship moors, and that decides how you reach Dendera on your own. From Qena it means a taxi across the river to the temple and back, so agree the return trip with the driver before you set off and keep a wide margin for the ride home.
- The temple by taxi: Taxis can be hired in the town center and at the railway station for the trip to Dendera, which lies on the far bank about 5 km southwest of Qena. Ask for a return trip rather than a one-way fare.
- At the site: Everything is within walking distance once you are through the gate. Ask on the day whether the crypts and the roof are open.
- Carry your passport: Police in Egypt check ID often and can hold someone who cannot show a passport and visa, so carry them or a copy of both.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.
Tipping and Money
Restaurant tips are generally not expected in Egypt, although smarter restaurants may add a service charge of 10 to 12 percent to the bill. Tips come up mostly in tourist services, such as drivers and toilet attendants.
- Agree a taxi fare before the ride. Rounding it up a little has become common.
- Toilet attendants usually expect a small tip, a little more at the major sites, and drivers on a tour are often tipped for each day.
- The currency is the Egyptian pound, written LE or EGP. Small notes are always in short supply, so keep the ones you are given.
Customs and Courtesies
Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country, and modest dress is expected, especially in rural areas, in mosques and in markets. A little care with photos and timing goes a long way.
- Get an Egyptian's written permission before you photograph them, and do not photograph children. Taking pictures of or near military property is illegal.
- During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight. The dates move each year, so check them before you travel.
- Qena is known for its pottery, and roughly a third of its people are Coptic Christians.
- To report a crime, call the tourist police on 126, and do it before you leave Egypt.
History
People were buried at Dendera long before the temple you see was built, and the site was rebuilt and redecorated for more than two thousand years. The present Temple of Hathor was begun under the last Ptolemies, and parts of it were added under Roman emperors.
- An early cemetery: The Dendera necropolis holds tombs from the Early Dynastic Period through the First Intermediate Period, earlier than the Middle Kingdom building at the temple.
- Rebuilt again and again: An earlier temple to Hathor was altered from the Middle Kingdom onward, until the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan.
- The oldest building standing, 360 to 343 BC: The birth house of Nectanebo II, the last native pharaoh of Egypt, is the oldest surviving structure in the complex.
- The present temple, 54 BC: Work on the temple that stands today began in 54 BC under Ptolemy XII Auletes.
- Roman rule: The hypostyle hall was built under Tiberius, and Trajan appears with Domitian in offering scenes on the gateway.
- Cleopatra on the wall: A relief on the back of the temple shows Cleopatra VII with Caesarion, her son by Julius Caesar.
- The zodiac, 1820: A sketch of the ceiling zodiac was made during Napoleon's campaign in Egypt, and in 1820 Frenchmen removed the relief from the ceiling. The original is in the Louvre, and a copy now fills its place on the ceiling.
- Restoration, 2005 to 2021: Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities began restoring the temple in 2005, stopped in 2011 and started again in 2017. By March 2021 the second phase had cleaned the great hall of columns and brought back the original colors of the painted walls and ceilings.
- The town's old name: In antiquity Qena was called Kaine, Greek for new city.
- To learn more at the temple: Look for the zodiac copy on the ceiling and the Cleopatra relief on the outer back wall, and ask your guide about the crypts below the floor.
With Children
Dendera suits children who like to explore, because the temple has crypts below, a staircase up to the roof and a famous queen carved on its back wall. Qena is very hot in summer and cool at night in winter, so plan the visit for the cooler part of the day.
- Younger children: The site is compact and walkable. Bring hats and plenty of water, and a layer for the evening in winter, when nights turn cool.
- School age: The zodiac on the ceiling is a copy of the original in Paris, and children can look for signs they know, such as the bull and the scales.
- Teenagers: Find Cleopatra and Caesarion on the outer back wall, and talk through the story of how the zodiac left Egypt in 1820.
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