Deir el-Shelwit

Welcome to the wonderfully secluded and highly atmospheric Temple of Isis at Deir el Shelwit. Located significantly off the heavily beaten tourist path, situated far on the distant southern outskirts of the sprawling Theban West…

Our exploration officially begins right here at the massive, beautifully decorated stone gateway known architecturally as the propylon. This heavily carved, free standing structure originally served as the grand, official…

Stepping carefully through the heavy shadow of the Roman propylon, we slowly enter the completely open, intensely quiet sandy courtyard that officially separates the main gateway from the actual temple building. This empty, flat…

We now stand directly before the main, physical facade of the primary temple building itself. At first glance, the exterior of this small, blocky structure might appear slightly disappointing or unusually plain compared to the…

As the heavy wooden door finally creaks loudly open, we step slowly out of the blinding desert sunlight and directly into the incredibly beautiful, deeply shadowed main hall of the temple. After your eyes slowly adjust to the…

We now move extremely carefully from the beautifully decorated main hall directly into the absolute, completely pitch black darkness of the inner sanctuary. This is the holy of holies, the most deeply restricted, incredibly…

Before we entirely exit the small, dark temple, we must completely explore the incredibly fascinating, highly secretive architectural features hidden just behind the main decorated walls. Branching off from the central sanctuary…

As we carefully descend the ancient stone stairs and finally step back out through the heavy wooden door into the bright, blinding sunlight, take a long, final look at the quiet, totally isolated Temple of Deir el Shelwit. This…