Temple of Taffeh

History

The temple of Taffeh was built of sandstone between 25 BCE and 14 CE during the rule of the Roman emperor Augustus. It was part of the Roman fortress known as Taphis and measures 6.5 x. The north temple's "two front columns are formed by square pillars with engaged columns" on its four sides. The rear wall of the temple interior features a statue niche.

In 1960, in relation to the construction of the Aswan High Dam and the consequent threat posed by its reservoir to numerous monuments and archeological sites in Nubia such as the temple of Abu Simbel, UNESCO made an international call to save these sites. In gratitude, Egypt assigned several monuments to the countries that replied to this plea in a significant way, including the Netherlands. Adolf Klasens, the director of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden and a Dutch Egyptologist played a part in arranging the agreement where Egypt presented the temple to the museum.

The building is constructed from 657 blocks weighing approximately 250 tons. After arriving in the Netherlands in 1979, it was reconstructed in a new wing of the museum. The new structure was designed in such a way that the Dutch weather would not affect the stone, that natural light would illuminate the temple and that visitors could see the temple before having to pay for admission. There was also an effort to replace a minimum number of damaged stones.

A Greek inscription and a Christian cross remain carved into its walls.

References

References

1. "Temple of Taffeh". Rijksmuseum van Oudheden.
2. "Tempel van Taffeh als blijk van dank".
3. Dieter Arnold, Temples of the Last Pharaohs, Oxford University Press, 1999. p.240
4. [https://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/173/ The Rescue of Nubian Monuments and Sites], UNESCO
5. Time Magazine. "The Pharaoh & the Flood, Friday, Apr. 12, 1963".
6. [https://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/172/ Monuments of Nubia-International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia] World Heritage Committee, UNESCO
7. "Unesco". Portal.unesco.org.
8. "Adolph Klasens bio". Saqqara.nl.
9. [https://nilepop.bridginghumanities.com/daniel-soliman-temple-taffeh/ Daniel Soliman, "The Temple of Taffeh: Crossroads of Cultures."] In: Fantini, E., Nijzink, L. (2023), Nile Pop, in Bridging Humanities, Leiden, Brill, available at: https://nilepop.bridginghumanities.com
10. Schrijver, Elka. (1979). "The Netherlands". The Burlington Magazine.
11. "48 Hours In: Leiden, Netherlands". The Independent.
12. "Sacred destinations". Sacred destinations.