Temple of Taffeh
The Temple of Taffeh (
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[4] such as the temple of Abu Simbel, UNESCO made an international call to save these sites.[5][6] In gratitude, Egypt assigned several monuments to the countries that replied to this plea in a significant way, including the Netherlands.[7] Adolf Klasens, the director of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden and a Dutch Egyptologist[8] played a part in arranging the agreement where Egypt presented the temple of Taffeh to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, the Netherlands.[9]
This building is constructed from 657 blocks weighing approximately 250 tons.[10] After arriving in the Netherlands in 1979,[2] it was reconstructed in a new wing of the National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) in Leiden. 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.[11] 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.[12]
See also
The four temples donated to countries assisting the relocation are:
- Temple of Debod (Madrid, Spain)
- Temple of Dendur (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States)
- Temple of Taffeh (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, the Netherlands)
- Temple of Ellesyia (Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy)
References
- ^ a b "Temple of Taffeh". Rijksmuseum van Oudheden. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ a b "Tempel van Taffeh als blijk van dank". Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ a b Dieter Arnold, Temples of the Last Pharaohs, Oxford University Press, 1999. p.240
- ^ The Rescue of Nubian Monuments and Sites, UNESCO
- ^ Time Magazine. "The Pharaoh & the Flood, Friday, Apr. 12, 1963". Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-02.
- ^ Monuments of Nubia-International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia World Heritage Committee, UNESCO
- ^ "Unesco". Portal.unesco.org. Retrieved 2013-01-02.
- ^ "Adolph Klasens bio". Saqqara.nl. Archived from the original on 2012-02-24. Retrieved 2013-01-02.
- ^ 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
- JSTOR 879668.
- ^ "48 Hours In: Leiden, Netherlands". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 19, 2008. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
- ^ "Sacred destinations". Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands: Sacred destinations. Archived from the original on 2005-12-28. Retrieved 2013-01-02.