Dandara (Arabic: دندرة Dandarah; other Greek Τεντύρα; Dendera) is a small city in Egypt on the western bank of the Nile, 5 kilometers from Kena on the opposite bank; located 60 km from Luxor.
In ancient times – Tentira, the capital of the 6th nome of Upper Egypt and the center of the cult of the goddess Hathor. Her temple, first explored by Mariet, is perfectly preserved from the time of the last Ptolemies; completed by the Roman emperor Tiberius.

History
An ancient cemetery near the walls of the Temple of Hathor testifies to the population of the area even in the predynastic period. Mastabas from the Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate Period were richly decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions and are an important source of information. Other burials are dated to the Roman and Ptolemaic eras.
In ancient Egypt, the area was known as Iunet. The modern Arab city was built on the site of Ta-ynt-netert, which translates as “Her divine support.” In the Hellenistic period, Tentira was the capital of the VI (Tentir) nome (sept) of Upper Egypt and was also called Nikentori or Nitentori, which means “willow tree” or “willow tree land”. The ancients believed that the name of the city was bestowed by the goddess Hathor herself, revered in these parts. However, the crocodile was considered the official symbol of the city, as in many other Egyptian cities. This aspect often became the cause of zealous conflicts, such as with the inhabitants of the city of Ombo. During the era of Roman rule, the city of Tentiris became part of the province of Thebaid and the religious center of Ptolemais. Little information has been preserved about the history of Christianity in the region, the names of two saints of that time are known – Pachomius the Great (beginning of the 4th century) and his associate Serapion, who founded the first community monastery in Tavenissi. The bishopric was restored under the name of Tentir in 1902, but the post has been vacant since 1972.
The city received its modern name Dandara in the late period of Ottoman rule.

Temple Complex
With a length of 79 m, the complex was built of sandstone and covers an area of ​​approx. 40,000 square meters and surrounded by a brick wall. The construction of the complex dates back to the Ptolemaic period and was completed under the Roman emperor Tiberius. However, under the foundation of the temples there are buildings of previous eras, the oldest can be attributed to the reign of the builder of the Great Pyramid – Khufu (c. 2613 – c. 2494 BC). It is known about the restoration work under Pharaoh Pipi I.

Temple of Hathor
Temple of Hathor — один из известных на территории комплекса и наиболее сохранившихся в Верхнем Египте. It took 200 years to build it. The building is distinguished by the uniqueness of its architecture, the accuracy and elegance of decorating the walls and columns with hieroglyphs and images. Wall sculptures were given at one time by the emperor Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius and Nero.
For a long time the temple was covered with sand, which did not save him from fanatics and vandals. The upper rooms were used as stables where fires were lit, which is why the ceilings are still covered with soot, and many paintings cannot be restored. For the first time, the excavations of the Temple of Hathor were undertaken in 1876 by the German Egyptologist Johannes Dumichen. The complex was later explored by Marieto.
The upper part of Mammisi (“House of Birth”) of the Roman period in Dendera. The figures of Bes are clearly visible on the capitals of the columns.
Inside is a huge hypostyle hall with 24 columns topped with images of Hathor. Astronomical scenes are depicted on the ceiling, and a description of the royal visit to the temple is depicted on the walls. Several small shrines to Osiris were placed on the roof, one of which depicts the solar disk and the Zodiac circle (Zodiac of Dandara), exhibited today in the Louvre Museum. A copy of the image can be seen in the Egyptian Museum.
A lot of controversy is caused by the bas-reliefs in the temple of Hathor with the “Lamps” of Dendera, depicting the conduct of a cult rite. Near-scientific theories, based on the external similarity of the image, speak about the possibility of ancient people using lighting devices similar to modern ones. Egyptologists associate the images with the symbolism of the Egyptians, who denoted “a god sprouting like a flower.”

Surrounding area
To the west, behind the sanctuary of Hathor is a small temple of Isis, built and decorated in the reign of Augustus. To the north – a temple larger than the period of Trajan. Other buildings date back to the time of Hadrian and Antoninus Pius.
To the west is a sacred lake planted with palm trees. The underground channels leading to the Nile still show the level of water in the river today. Nearby stood the gate of Mentuhotep II (moved to the Cairo Museum). East of the lake preserved several early Christian buildings that may be associated with the monastic activity of the disciples of Pachomius the Great.