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A large and graceful Nubian temple — relocated stone by stone to higher ground beside the High Dam to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.معبدٌ نوبي كبير ورشيق — نُقل حجرًا حجرًا إلى أرضٍ أعلى بجوار السد العالي لإنقاذه من مياه بحيرة ناصر المتصاعدة.
Standing on a promontory near the Aswan High Dam is one of the largest free-standing temples of ancient Nubia: Kalabsha. Built in the Roman period for a local Nubian god, it is a beautiful and well-preserved temple — and a monument with two stories to tell. One is of its ancient grandeur; the other is of its dramatic rescue, when it was dismantled and rebuilt on higher ground to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.
يقف على لسانٍ صخري قرب السد العالي بأسوان أحد أكبر المعابد القائمة بذاتها في النوبة القديمة: كلابشة. وبُني في العصر الروماني لإلهٍ نوبي محلّي، وهو معبدٌ جميل جيّد الحفظ — ونصبٌ له قصّتان. إحداهما عن فخامته القديمة؛ والأخرى عن إنقاذه الدرامي، حين فُكّك وأُعيد بناؤه على أرضٍ أعلى لإنقاذه من مياه بحيرة ناصر المتصاعدة.
A Rescued Nubian Temple · معبدٌ نوبي مُنقَذ
Grandeur from the Roman age.فخامةٌ من العصر الروماني.
Kalabsha was built around 2,000 years ago, in the era of the Roman emperor Augustus, and dedicated to Mandulis, a Nubian sun-god. One of the largest free-standing temples in Nubia, it follows the classic Egyptian temple plan, with a grand pylon, courtyard, hypostyle hall, and sanctuary, and carries reliefs of Egyptian and Nubian gods. Its scale and fine preservation make it an impressive example of how Egyptian temple architecture spread south into Nubia.
Saved from the Waters · مُنقَذٌ من المياه
Moved to escape Lake Nasser.نُقل هربًا من بحيرة ناصر.
When the Aswan High Dam created Lake Nasser in the 1960s, Kalabsha — like many Nubian monuments — faced being drowned. In a remarkable rescue effort, the temple was dismantled into thousands of blocks and rebuilt on higher ground near the dam. It was part of the great international campaign that also saved Abu Simbel and Philae — one of the largest heritage-rescue operations in history.
Visiting · الزيارة
Reached across the water.يُوصَل إليه عبر الماء.
Kalabsha sits near the High Dam and is usually reached by a short boat ride, which adds to the sense of discovery. Around it stand other rescued Nubian monuments moved to the same site, including the elegant Kiosk of Qertassi and the small rock temple of Beit el-Wali. Less visited than Aswan's headline sites, it rewards travellers with grand architecture, a fascinating rescue story, and fine views over the waters of Lake Nasser.
Quick Facts · حقائق سريعة
Sources include standard references on Nubian monuments. Some details are approximate.