On April 28, 1967, United States President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded an ancient Egyptian temple built in the first century B.C.—a gift from Egypt to the United States—to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today the structure, the Temple of Dendur, is one of the iconic and most beloved works of art at The Met.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of this momentous award, Diana Craig Patch, Lila Acheson Wallace Curator in Charge of the Department of Egyptian Art, shares the exciting story of how the Temple of Dendur came to The Met and the importance of this Egyptian icon to the Museum community.
Read a collection of new essays written by staff in the Departments of Egyptian Art and Objects Conservation that discuss various aspects of the temple.