The Egyptian Temple of the Iberian Peninsula - Temple of Debod, Madrid

Ancient Egyptian temples and the Iberian Peninsula are far apart, seemingly irrelevant. But the fact is that there is an ancient Egyptian temple, the Temple of Debod (Templo de Debod), on a small hill near the Spanish Square in Madrid, Spain, in the Parque de la Montana. It is an ancient temple built on the banks of the Nile near Aswan in ancient Egypt in the 4th century BC. It is the oldest building in Madrid. In 1960, the Egyptian government decided to build a new dam to replace the one built at the end of the 19th century in order to increase more irrigable farmland and control the floods of the Nile. This would raise the water level, expand the capacity and water area of Lake Nasser, and submerge the temples on the banks of the Nile. UNESCO called on the world to save these endangered cultural relics and treasures of human civilization. Many countries participated in this rescue operation. The United States and many European countries responded to the call and provided a lot of help for the rescue operation, including the relocation of the most famous Abu Simbel Temple in Aswan, Egypt, which is one of the greatest monument protection operations in the world. To thank the Spanish government for its support and help, the Egyptian government decided to give the Temple of Debod to Spain. In 1968, the Temple of Debod was dismantled according to the number arrangement and transported to Madrid, where it was rebuilt in the original style in the Parque de la Montana, facing east and west. It was completed and officially opened to the public in 1972. This is one of the very few well-preserved ancient Egyptian buildings that can be admired outside of Egypt. It is extremely precious and rare. The building has a front hall, several temples and terraces, and the interior retains the original decoration. It is said that there are many precious original site image materials and relocation and construction materials on display. There used to be a pool around it, probably to simulate the original scene on the banks of the Nile, where you can see the reflection of the temple. When I went, there was no water in the pool, because of the Christmas and New Year holidays, there were too many people in line, I was short of time, and I couldn't visit inside, leaving another regret. Visiting is free, but because the temple area is limited, the flow of tourists is controlled and you need to wait in line. The park is on a hill, with the Manzanares River winding in the distance, and you can overlook the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral, and the Moorish Garden, the Church of San Antonio de la Florida, etc. are also in sight. This is also a famous place in Madrid to watch the sunset, so there are many tourists in the evening. The plane trees in the park show warm red and yellow tones in the sunset, and people do not feel the cold wind of winter, as if they are in a warm room, comfortable and joyful. To be honest, I think I have given myself a lot of time to spend three days in Madrid, but it is far from enough. Just the Parque de la Montana and the Temple of Debod are enough for you to spend an afternoon. If you haven't been to Egypt or don't plan to go for the time being, don't miss the Temple of Debod when you come to Madrid.