Temple of Isis on the temple of Dendera - ideal for enhancing a decoration inspired by travel - David Roberts, Egypt and Nubia 1838

Color lithograph: Temple of Isis on the roof of the great temple of Dendera

The Temple of Isis, located on the roof of the great Temple of Dendera, is a small hypostyle building often overlooked by travelers because of the grandeur of the main temple. Perched on the southeast corner of the roof, just above the temple sanctuary, it recalls the so-called "Pharaoh's Bed" Temple at Philae. Although modest, measuring only 22 feet square and 18 feet high, it is remarkably elegant.

The temple is supported by twelve columns, each adorned with capitals in the form of the head of Isis, which support a small pronaos. The columns, with a tread of four feet ten inches, are surrounded by column screens and adorned with delicate carvings, both inside and out. The function or cult to which this temple was dedicated remains uncertain, although it is referred to as the Temple of Isis. The sand surrounding it evokes an arid landscape, hiding the remains of the once flourishing city of Tentyra.

David Roberts, renowned for his detailed engravings of Egyptian monuments, has masterfully captured the beauty of this understated temple, adding a valuable dimension to the understanding of Egyptian architecture.

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.