The Kalabsha Temple is a large, sandstone complex that was once located at Bab la-Kalabsha, but was relocated in the 1960s to Aswan, Egypt. The temple is built on elevated ground and surrounded by high walls near Lake Nasser. The main entry point is a pylon gateway that leads directly into an open courtyard surrounded by a row of columns and doorways that lead to other halls. Movement in the temple is rather linear, as it features five interior spaces that proceed one after another. Smaller chambers can be found lining the inner passage and a chapel can be accessed using the outer one. Surfaces are decorated with carvings depicting deities, pharaohs, and other symbolic motifs which were colored with pigments that have now faded. The temple was dedicated to the Nubian god Mandulis and was commissioned by Augustus Caesar. Solidifying the monument not only as a place of religious devotion, but also as a sign of Roman authority with its massive scale and magnificence.
Image 1: The_Temple_of_Kalabsha_by_Dennis_G._Jarvis
Image 4:Temple of Gerf Hussein. stone, ca. 13th century BCE, portions of temple moved from original site to New Kalabsha ca. 1960s.
originally located at Bab al-Kalabsha (Gate of Kalabsha)