Temple of Debod

The Temple of Debod stands as a cluster of ancient stone gates and walls salvaged from the Nile Valley. Built in the second century before Christ to honor the god Amun, it sat in the village of Debod for two millennia. When the Egyptian government began building the Aswan High Dam in the nineteen sixties, the rising waters threatened to submerge the site. Spain provided engineering aid for the rescue effort, and Egypt gifted the temple to Madrid as a gesture of gratitude.