24/02/2024
The Temple of Taffah (Taphis) // From Nubia all the way to the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, this temple has stood witness to cycles of change both ancient and modern. Throughout its ancient life, this 1st century temple (built under Augustus as part of his border fortifications) saw the fall of one empire and the rise of another, a cycle repeated through the centuries. Its use shifted from that of temple to one of shelter, of storage, of trade, of much needed rest by weary travellers. It was used by locals and foreigners alike, and it stood there, offering its space to anyone who needed it, for almost two thousand years. Taffah Temple was among the hundreds of sites and villages that stood in the flood path of the Aswan Dam's construction, and it was among the many temples that were carefully moved, brick by brick, so as to protect and preserve them. The villages were not so lucky, nor were the thousands of displaced Nubians. Five temples in total were gifted to the countries who took part in the move, five temples given by the Egyptian government as a thank you - Dendur, now in New York, Dabod to Spain, Kalabsha to Germany, and the Chapel of Ellesia in Italy. The Temple of Taffah now stands in the entrance hall of Leiden's Antiquities museum, free for all to see and accessible without a ticket - a condition placed by Egypt. But the plaque says nothing about the temple's full and diverse life, and it says nothing about the irreparable damage done by the construction of the dam, it says nothing about the decisions that were made and the priorities of those in charge.
Images: The temple in its original location (Source - Muzeo Egizio) / The temple depicted in one of David Roberts' lithographs (Source - Philographikon Antique Maps and Prints) / The temple in its current location in Leiden (Source - Atlas Obscura).
