Seen here is the incredibly well-preserved, painted ceiling at Egypt’s Temple of Hathor. It is the main temple at the [Dendera Temple Complex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendera_Temple_complex) which was built around 2250 BC and is regarded as one of the best-preserved temple complexes in Egypt. Dendera covers an area of about 40,000 square meters and is one of the most tourist-accessible ancient Egyptian places of worship.
The ceiling of the main hall has retained much of its stunning original colour despite being painted thousands of years ago. According to [Tour Egypt](http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/dendera.htm), the ceiling is “decorated as a complex and carefully aligned symbolic chart of the heavens, including signs of the zodiac (introduced by the Romans) and images of the sky goddess *Nut* who swallowed the sun disc each evening in order to give birth to it once again at dawn.” [[source](http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/dendera.htm)]
The ceiling was recently cleaned as a layer of soot had covered much of the temple. According to [Sacred Sites](https://sacredsites.com/africa/egypt/dendera.html), this was caused when Napoleon’s scholars first visited Dendera. They actually founded a centuries-old Arab village directly inside the great temple and the villagers’ cooking fires had blackened the ceilings over the years.
phoenixreborn75 says
Seen here is the incredibly well-preserved, painted ceiling at Egypt’s Temple of Hathor. It is the main temple at the [Dendera Temple Complex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendera_Temple_complex) which was built around 2250 BC and is regarded as one of the best-preserved temple complexes in Egypt. Dendera covers an area of about 40,000 square meters and is one of the most tourist-accessible ancient Egyptian places of worship.
The ceiling of the main hall has retained much of its stunning original colour despite being painted thousands of years ago. According to [Tour Egypt](http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/dendera.htm), the ceiling is “decorated as a complex and carefully aligned symbolic chart of the heavens, including signs of the zodiac (introduced by the Romans) and images of the sky goddess *Nut* who swallowed the sun disc each evening in order to give birth to it once again at dawn.” [[source](http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/dendera.htm)]
The ceiling was recently cleaned as a layer of soot had covered much of the temple. According to [Sacred Sites](https://sacredsites.com/africa/egypt/dendera.html), this was caused when Napoleon’s scholars first visited Dendera. They actually founded a centuries-old Arab village directly inside the great temple and the villagers’ cooking fires had blackened the ceilings over the years.
​
Photocred: Fig Wright