Ancient site · Aswan
Kalabsha Temple
The largest free-standing temple of Egyptian Nubia, dedicated to the Nubian sun god Mandulis and moved block by block to the shore of Lake Nasser beside the High Dam.
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The story
The temple was built around 30 BC under the Roman emperor Augustus in honour of Mandulis, a sun god worshipped in Lower Nubia, most likely over an earlier New Kingdom shrine. It originally stood on the west bank of the Nile at ancient Talmis, some 50 km south of its present site. When the High Dam and Lake Nasser threatened to submerge it in the 1960s, a German team took part in its rescue within the UNESCO Nubia campaign: it was taken apart into about 13,000 blocks and rebuilt at New Kalabsha. Today the site also gathers the Ramesside temple of Beit el-Wali and the Roman-period Kiosk of Qertassi.
Good to know
- It is the largest free-standing temple in Egyptian Nubia.
- It was dedicated to Mandulis, a Nubian sun god, and built around 30 BC in the reign of Augustus.
- The temple was dismantled into some 13,000 blocks and rebuilt on its present site with German funding and expertise.
- It stands on a promontory in Lake Nasser beside the High Dam and is usually reached by a short boat ride.
- On the same site you can also see Beit el-Wali and the Kiosk of Qertassi, both rescued from other places in Nubia.
Visiting tips
Reaching the temple takes a short boat ride from the High Dam side, and the entrance ticket is usually bought on site. Mornings are more comfortable for the heat. Please check hours and prices before visiting, as they can change by season.