Temple of Debod

The Egyptian Temple of Debod is located in the barrio Casa de Campo belonging to the district of Moncloa-Aravaca. The Egyptian temple dates back to the 2nd century BC and is a gift from the Egyptians to the Spanish for helping them rescue their legendary stone temples of Abu Simbel from the floods caused after the construction of the Aswan Dam canal in the Aswan area. In the 6th century AD the temple was sealed and abandoned. In the 20th century, due to the construction of the dam, the Egyptian government gave the temple as a gift to the city of Madrid and was moved and rebuilt stone by stone to its current location.It opened to the public in 1972. The reconstruction in Madrid preserved the original orientation of the building, ie from East to West. At the monument surrounded by greenery, you will meet tourists wandering around the site on their own, but also locals enjoying their morning exercise while the sun rises behind this ancient building. The Templo de Debod is located in the Parque de la Montaña, on a small slope between the Plaza de España and the Manzanares River. This elevated location makes it one of the best spots to watch the sunset in Madrid, allowing views of the Royal Palace and the Guadarrama hills.