A while back I did a blog post about the Temple of Debod and why it is in the Parque del Oeste. I would recommend reading it for the background information on why this stunningly beautiful Egyptian monument is in Madrid.
It is perched atop a hill over looking a majority of the city. There are reflecting pools on both sides of the monument and it is surrounded by palm trees. On a clear day (not when this picture was taken) it is possible to see the mountains from behind the temple (this view), see the heart of the city from the front, and if you go 30 meters or so to the South it is possible to see the Royal Palace.
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| This is probably the most romantic picture of these two in their lives. No I do not know them. |
But I had never been inside the temple before this Christmas when my SIL and partner came down from Barcelona for New Years. I was not expecting the inside to be so spacious, so informative, so ..awe inspiring. also, for some reason I was not expecting Hieroglyphs.
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| You could touch these, there is no barrier. It is both cool and deeply disturbing. |
I was not expecting that Spain had turned the inside into a small free museum, educating about the temple and it's origins. In the photo below you can see how they added a "light" version of the statue that was once on this alter.
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In looking for the proper name for this "cornice" on line I just found a cool site that lets you see what the temple was in its heyday. It is in Spanish, but I think worth the trip even if you do not speak read it well.
At the end, if you are in Madrid and have the time. Definitely visit this temple.
You are still finding interesting new things in Madrid. That reconstruction was interesting, as are your pictures. I guess if you think you might be leaving Madrid, that's incentive to keep exploring more. I'm trying to put together a blog post today, but it is on my knitting blog, not my travel blog. This is more recent stuff, so it is easier to do.
ReplyDeleteHi madrileña,
ReplyDeleteOne question, do you have the first floor of the visited Temple? It has a scale model of the temples of the Nile which were flooded by the dam of Hassuan. It is incredible.
You know better Madrid I, another thing, with a delay of two years welcome to Madrid, for you and your husband.
Perdona que te comente esto, pero te veo un poco agobiada por vivir en la gran ciudad, te comprendo, por eso yo vivo en la sierra.
Puede que alguien os lo haya recomendado pero por si no es así; ahora que viene el buen tiempo, hay que salir de Madrid en excursiones de un día:
En tren a la sierra, Cercedilla, buscar las dehesas y la calzada romana, llevar pic-nic en una mochila.
Cercedilla en el tren que sube a Cotos y el puerto de Navacerrada.
En coche a Navacerrada (pueblo) para tomar aperitivo y comer en alguno de los muchos restaurantes.
En coche a La Granja de San Ildefonso , cerca de Segovia, precioso pueblo, palacio y jardines.
Saludos,
Jesús
Hi Jesús, I have visited the first floor (or 2nd for the Americans out there reading) of the temple. It was amazing. It was just so crowded that I could not really see anything. If you have any questions about Madrid, feel free to ask me.
ReplyDeleteI am going to answer all of your questions in English, because that is my blog's main language. But you can always leave comments in Spanish too.
Yes, I really do not like living in a big city, and because of this, among other things, we are looking to move. I would love to live in the mountains, but we have decided not to have a car in Madrid, so that is not possible.
Those day trip recommendations are much appreciated though, and I will have to do a day trip to the mountains very soon. Thank you!