Temple of Debod - The Oldest Building in Madrid

History and progress

Forgotten for 12 centuries, the temple remained intact until the 20^th century, when the Egyptian government began construction on the Aswan Dam (1961). This dam had the essential function of preventing the constant flooding of the Nile that devastated their crops. But there was a problem. The construction of the dam meant that the Temple of Debod had to be destroyed, along with other historic buildings.

How did Temple of Debod get to Madrid?

It is at this moment when an international delegation made up of experts from different countries (Spain, Poland, United States, and others), in coordination with the Egyptian government, took action to save the endangered buildings. As a token of appreciation, the Egyptian government decided to donate some small temples to those countries that had collaborated on the endeavor. The Temple of Debod was taken apart stone by stone, and all the original inscriptions that had been damaged by floods were restored. Later, the blocks of stone were taken to the Port of Alexandria.

On June 6, 1970, a huge ship transported all the stone blocks to the Port of Valencia (Eastern Spain). Once there, trunks transported the temple to Madrid, where it was rebuilt like a gigantic puzzle thanks to a team of expert Egyptologists. The place chosen for the temple was a small hill near Plaza España (“Parque de la Montaña“), right where some of the bloodiest battles in the Spanish Civil War took place (1936-1939).