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The complex of temples at Dendera (ancient ‘Iunet’ or ’Tantere’) lie close to the Nile about five kilometers south of Qena, and on the opposite (or west) bank, though because of the bend in the river the main temple, unusually, faces north.
The site is enclosed by a mud brick wall and covers around 40,000 square meters, and is dominated by the magnificent Greco-Roman Temple of Hathor shown here—the best preserved example of a temple from the era.
However, as a religious site, Dendera stretches back much further in ancient Egyptian history. A prolific builder of the sixth dynasty, the pharaoh Pepi I Meryre (reigned 2332 – 2287 B.C.), built here, and there is evidence also of an eighteenth dynasty (circa 1500 B.C.) temple. The earliest building to have survived is the Mammisi (a small chapel close to a larger temple and associated with the birth of a god) built by the last of the native Egyptian pharaohs, Nectanebo II of the thirtieth dynasty (reigned 360-343 B.C.)....

I am currently based in Tuscany, Italy and Cairo, Egypt, having previously lived in the US, Netherlands and Britain. Trained in the UK as an archaeologist and anthropologist, most of my images reflect my continuing fascination with the prehistoric and historic past. Images of non-European cultures and historic landscapes also play a large part in my work. My love of the past is also often reflected in the presentation of my images - which often mimics historical styles of representation from faux prints to postcards and antique photographs. WATERMARKS WILL NOT APPEAR IN PURCHASED ARTWORK Enjoy! Copyright Notice All images are the property of Nigel Fletcher-Jones and may not be used wholly or in part without the prior...