Temple of Debod

The temple was begun near Aswan in the early second century BC by Adikhalamani, a Kushite king of Meroe, dedicated to Amun and Isis and extended by Ptolemaic and Roman rulers. When the Aswan High Dam was built in the 1960s it stood to be flooded, and Egypt gave it to Spain in 1968 in thanks for help with the UNESCO campaign to save the Nubian monuments; it was dismantled, shipped and reassembled in Madrid in 1972, oriented as it had been on the Nile. It sits on a low platform surrounded by shallow reflecting pools in the Parque del Oeste, and its west-facing position over the Casa de Campo makes it the standard sunset spot in Madrid. Entry is free with timed capacity limits, and the interior holds reliefs and an explanatory display.

The main sights

• The reassembled temple - a Ptolemaic building rebuilt stone by stone.
• The reflecting pools - shallow water around the platform.
• The reliefs inside - carved decoration from the Nubian original.
• The sunset view - west over the Casa de Campo and the sierra.

When to go

Year-round; sunset is when the crowd gathers, and the hour before closing is the busiest of the day. The interior keeps limited hours and closes on Mondays, and capacity inside is capped.

Before you go

The interior is small and the visit takes twenty minutes, with the sandstone showing damage from Madrid's climate and pollution. Sunset crowds fill the surrounding terraces completely. The pools are drained periodically for maintenance.

Nearby

Plaza de Espana is minutes east; the Teleferico and the Royal Palace are close.

Key facts