Dendera Gate - an elegant addition to an oriental-inspired decoration - David Roberts, Egypt and Nubia 1838

Color lithograph: Dendera Gate

The "Dendara Gate," depicted in this engraving by David Roberts, reveals one of the entrances to the sacred precinct of the temple of Dendara, probably dating from the Roman period of Egyptian art. Perfectly preserved, this gate features remarkably clear carved details, including winged spheres and other ornamentation whose original colors remain vivid. A partially legible Greek inscription is visible on the plinth of the cornice, a detail Roberts noted had escaped other travelers.

The mud-brick enclosure measures about 240 paces on each side and has two entrances: one at the pylon of Isis and the other in front of the great temple. The other portal, similar to the one illustrated but less buried in the ruins, shows signs of wear caused by the weapons of the guards who guarded the temple entrance. This engraving offers a valuable insight into the architecture and minute details of Roman-era Egypt.

Reproduction of an engraving of a drawing by David Roberts (1796-1864) made during his three-month journey from Alexandria to the temple of Abu Simbel in Nubia, a journey of more than fifteen hundred kilometers.

His drawings were already the subject of considerable success during his lifetime, in particular those published between 1846 and 1849 in the form of three volumes, published in London by FG Moon and entitled Egypt and Nubia, made from the drawings and sketches made during this trip to the banks of the Nile during the winter of 1838-1839, and lithographed by Louis Haghe.