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Lake Nasser Tourist Attractions
11 August 2025
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What is the Temple of Dakka?
The temple of dakka location is beside the Nile and the Ancient Egyptians called it Pselqet while the Greeks used the name Pselchis.
It was built for Thoth and the god of wisdom, writing and magic although in the third century BC King Arqamani, who was known to the Greeks as Ergamenes and worked with Pharaoh Ptolemy IV to set up a small one-room shrine, so later Ptolemy IX added more halls and decorations.
Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius then strengthened the walls and enlarged the layout. The simple shrine slowly turned into a large temple that blends Nubian, Egyptian and Roman designs.
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Where is the Temple of Dakka located?
The Temple of Dakka Nubia once stood about 100 kilometers south of the Aswan High Dam in Lower Nubia. When the dam rose in the 1960s water threatened to cover the site. From 1962 to 1968 workers took the temple apart stone by stone and moved it 40 kilometers upstream. It now stands at Wadi El Sebua near Lake Nasser in southern Egypt.
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Who Built the Temple of Dakka?
Many stories explain who first built the Temple of Dakka. Some experts say it began in Egypt’s 18th Dynasty during the rule of Queen Hatshepsut and King Thutmose III because blocks linked to Horus were found there. Other researchers think a Nubian king named Akamani also called Ergamenes started the work around 220 BC. A third view links the first stones to Ptolemy II Philadelphus who ruled from 282 to 246 BC with later Ptolemaic and Roman rulers adding extra rooms and walls.
Most scholars now agree that the main parts rose in the Ptolemaic age and the Romans later made the complex bigger.
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What are the architectural highlights of the Temple of Dakka?
The Temple of Dakka follows the classic style of Egyptian temples. It faces north and stretches north to south along the Nile.
Visitors first walk along a long road called the dromos. This path ends at a tall pylon about twelve meters high. The gate shows deep carvings and graffiti left by people who wrote in Greek Demotic and Meroitic.
Behind the pylon stands the outer hall or pronaos. Ptolemy IX added this room. Its front wall shows kings giving gifts to the gods. Inside are columns shaped like papyrus stems and low walls with simple carvings. In later Christian times this hall became a church and some of its paintings were still visible in the last century.
Farther inside are two sanctuaries. King Arqamani built the first one and Emperor Augustus added the second. Their walls show local rulers bringing offerings to Thoth Isis Sekhmet Tefnut and Anqet the goddess of Aswan. One carving even shows cows offered to Thoth.
Roman builders later surrounded the temple with strong stone walls. This turned the site into a small fortress with its gate facing the river. Unlike the nearby temple at Wadi el Sebua Dakka has no avenue of sphinx statues.
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What is the history and significance of the Temple of Dakka?
First the Temple of Dakka was a small shrine for Thoth then the Romans arrived and enlarged it by adding extra rooms and thick walls and Emperors Augustus and Tiberius led this expansion. Moreover, stones at the site record orders from Roman governors and words of praise for the Nubian king Silko after he defeated nearby tribes. Therefore, the complex became both a place of worship and a military post while blending Egyptian Nubian Greek and Roman styles.
Later European explorers rediscovered the ruins in the eighteen hundreds and started to clear and restore them and even though the structure collapsed in nineteen zero eight and nineteen zero nine the archaeologist Alessandro Barsanti rebuilt it soon after
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How was the Temple of Dakka relocated?
Because the Aswan High Dam would flood the area UNESCO led a worldwide rescue in the nineteen sixties and experts took the Temple of Dakka apart piece by piece and then moved it about forty kilometers north to Wadi El Sebua.
And during this move they also found stone blocks that builders had reused long ago in the days of Thutmose the Third Seti the First and Merneptah
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What are the key facts about the Temple of Dakka?
If you are looking for important temple of Dakka facts then it helps to start from the beginning. The temple was first built in the third century BC during the time of King Arqamani who was also known as Ergamenes. Later on it was expanded by Ptolemaic and Roman rulers who added more parts to the structure. The temple was mainly dedicated to Thoth who was the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom and writing. In ancient times Egyptians called it Pselqet and the Greeks called it Pselchis. It was built from north to south which follows the same direction as the Nile River.
Inside the temple you can still see carvings and writings that show Nubian kings standing with Egyptian gods which gives us more temple of Dakka facts about how different cultures came together. During the Byzantine period the temple was turned into a Christian church and in the 1960s it was moved to a new place to protect it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser after the Aswan High Dam was built. Not far from the site at Maharraka there is also a rare spiral staircase which is the only one ever found in any Nubian temple.
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How Can Visitors Access the Temple of Dakka?
You can visit the Temple of Dakka by joining a cruise on Lake Nasser and most of these cruises also stop at other temples that were moved like Kalabsha Wadi El Sebua and Amada so you get to see more than one amazing site in one trip. Many people come by cruise ship and spend time walking through the temple while enjoying the calm views of the wide lake around it.
Going to the Dakka Temple Egypt is a great chance to learn about old cultures because it brings together the stories of ancient Egypt Nubia Greece and Rome all in one place. That is why it is one of the best places to visit if you love history or want to explore southern Egypt in a special way.
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Why Should I Visit the Temple of Dakka in Egypt?
The Dakka Temple is more than just old stones or broken walls because it holds stories from many cultures that once lived in this land. As you walk through the temple you’ll start to feel how each part has something to say from thousands of years ago and the peaceful spot by Lake Nasser makes it even more special and calming.
If you're planning a visit to the Temple of Dakka in Egypt, it is good to know that many guided trips are available as part of Lake Nasser cruises. While there are no fixed Temple of Dakka opening times & tours, most visits happen during the day and are included in cruise schedules.
The site is one of several Lower Nubia temples that were carefully relocated to protect them from flooding. Visiting the Dakka Temple gives you the chance to explore a quiet and historic site that’s less crowded but full of stories and culture.
Let Step To Egypt take you there and guide you through every corner of the Temple of Dakka where the past truly comes to life. Book your trip today and start the journey.
The Temple of Dakka Egypt is near the edge of Lake Nasser in southern Egypt. It was first built in the third century BC during the time of King Arqamani who was also known by the Greeks as Ergamenes. Later on Ptolemaic and Roman rulers helped make the temple bigger and more impressive.
The temple was made for Thoth who was the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom writing and magic. Long ago Egyptians called the temple Pselqet while the Greeks called it Pselchis. The building was designed to face from north to south which follows the same direction as the Nile River.
At first the temple stood in Lower Nubia about one hundred kilometers south of where the Aswan High Dam stands today.
