The temple complex at Dendera boasts more than one rarity, with just enough weirdness to leave a real dent.

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• Dedicated to Hathor, Dendera was Her largest known cult center in all of ancient Egypt.

• The Zodiac lived here, in the chapel of Osiris, until ripped from the ceiling and shipped to Paris in 1821.

• Dendera was built on a previous temple that dates back to 2500 BC, a site whose purpose and stories are largely unknown.

• There are over 11 crypts here, some completely underground.

• One of these crypts contains the infamous Dendera bulb reliefs, aka the Dendera light, a strange mix of alchemy and tech I have come to know as the light of Hathor.

 

Below is the chapter from my new book, The Light of Hathor, on the temple itself. While there are many more details on the temple throughout the book, this is the section that starts the journey. I hope you enjoy.