Situated within the vast temple complex dedicated to the goddess Hathor at Dendera, the Sacred Lake is a man-made reservoir, part of the temple’s ritual architecture. However, the Sacred Lake at Dendera was not merely a tranquil body of water; it was a living symbol of renewal, a stage for sacred drama, and a portal...
The concept of the Sacred Lake (Ancient Egyptian: “She-netjer”) dates back to the earliest phases of Ancient Egyptian religious architecture, likely as far back as the Old Kingdom, c. 2686–2181 B.C., though surviving examples are predominantly from the Middle Kingdom onward. These man-made bodies of water were typically constructed within temple precincts, mirroring the primordial...
