Deir al Hagar
This sandstone temple to the Egyptian gods Amun, Mut, Khonsu, and Seth was actually built by the Roman Emperor Nero (54-67 A.D.) and finished a few decades later by Domitian (81-96 A.D.). What makes it a real must-see for me is that it's covered with graffiti from the who's-who of early desert explorers. Names to be found include Sir Archibald Edmondstone, the first European to get to Dakhla (in 1819), Bernadino Drovetti (the French diplomat who accompanied Mohamed Ali's army to Siwa), and Gerhard Rolfs, who was the first European to cross North Africa. The temple itself is small but elegant and has been nicely restored.
This sandstone temple to the Egyptian gods Amun, Mut, Khonsu, and Seth was actually built by the Roman Emperor Nero (54-67 A.D.) and finished a few decades later by Domitian (81-96 A.D.). What makes it a real must-see for me is that it's covered with graffiti from the who's-who of early desert explorers. Names to be found include Sir Archibald Edmondstone, the first European to get to Dakhla (in 1819), Bernadino Drovetti (the French diplomat who accompanied Mohamed Ali's army to Siwa), and Gerhard Rolfs, who was the first European to cross North Africa. The temple itself is small but elegant and has been nicely restored.
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