Things to see and do New Kalabcha

It was Augustus who erected this temple, originally located 40 km north of its present site. Earlier, Amenhetep II had built a temple here dedicated to Mandulis, also called Meru, a minor Nubian god, but also celebrated at Philae in the temple of Isis. His lion-like appearance associated him with Tefnut, the distant and dangerous daughter of Ra. Even later, he was linked to Apollo. Measuring 71.60 m long by 35.50 m wide, it was one of the largest sanctuaries in Nubia at the time, alongside Philae and Abu Simbel. The dismantling and relocation of the temple was the first work of its kind, and served as a model for all others of its kind in the region.

Two surrounding walls surrounded the temple; only one remains today.

Pylon: two upright positions indicate that masts once stood in front of this recent temple, typically of Roman date; it gives access to an open-roofed courtyard surrounded by 14 pillars.

Pronaos: once past the Ptolemaic portico, access is gained to a covered pronaos supported by eight columns.

Sanctuary: two vestibules precede the sanctuary, where Augustus is depicted giving offerings to various deities.

Enclosure: the enclosure provides access to the outer walls of the temple and to the now useless site of a nilometer.

To the west, a small chapel dedicated to Dedoun, a young Nubian god known as "the purveyor of incense", also appears at Philae.

The kiosk of Kertassi is a small temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor or the goddess Isis. It was located 40 km south of New Kalabcha, until it was moved in 1960 by the Egyptian antiquities department during the rescue of the Nubian temples. It was to serve as a stop for the procession of the sacred boat in the Ptolemaic period, of which it is probably a contemporary. The columns of this kiosk have either papyriform or hathoric capitals. Maybe he's a contemporary of Trajan's kiosk at Philae.

This small rock temple is located in the same place as the Kalabsha temple. It was built by Ramses II to be one of the first buildings used for public relations purposes. It is entered through a courtyard where Pharaoh's battles against the Nubians on the left and against the Libyans and Asians on the right are depicted. The vestibule is decorated with Ramses II presenting offerings to Hathor and Khnum. The sanctuary is decorated with Ramses facing Ra and Khnum. The small temple of Beit El Wali is in many ways fascinating.