Original subtitles

NARRATOR: Deep within Egypt's vast interior

lies a unique ancient complex,

Dendera.

It's really, really impressive.

There's absolutely nothing else like it all over Egypt.

NARRATOR: This majestic temple is adorned with

a spectacular array of mysterious signs of the zodiac.

WOMAN: The temple of Dendera is a place

to understand and decode the ancient universe.

NARRATOR: Now, investigators venture

NARRATOR: Now, investigators venture

deep into the temple's crypts...

The access is very low.

...and bring vibrant paintings back to life...

These images are the most unique in Egypt.

...to unlock Dendera's secrets.

What is this captivating site,

and who builds it?

He was one of the last members of

one of the last dynasties of ancient Egypt.

NARRATOR: And why does it entice the most beguiling pharaoh of

them all, Cleopatra?

them all, Cleopatra?

To solve these mysteries,

we blow Dendera apart and unearth

its unique interior.

We hunt for the rulers who build this temple.

We decode its incredible zodiac depictions,

digitally reconstruct

this magnificent complex in its prime,

and reveal the secrets

of Dendera's Zodiac Temple.

of Dendera's Zodiac Temple.

Dendera,

an ancient complex on the banks of the Nile.

Dendera is situated 285 miles south of Cairo

and is revered for millennia by ancient Egypt's pharaohs.

This is a religious site that is

This is a religious site that is

almost as ancient as the Egyptian civilization itself.

NARRATOR: Each part of this awe-inspiring temple

is built over 3,000 years of Egyptian history.

In antiquity,

Dendera is sacred.

A 3,500-foot-long mud brick wall

protects 18 acres of holy ground.

A monumental gate

leads to a series of temples, store rooms,

a bathhouse,

and a ceremonial pool.

One majestic temple

dominates the heart of this complex.

What is this ancient site, and who builds it?

Cedric Gobeil

is on a mission to uncover the secrets of Dendera.

GOBEIL: I've been coming to this place for more than 15 years,

and what strikes me is the size of the monuments,

really, the diversity,

all the details of every scenes that are there to

be seen.

NARRATOR: Cedric ventures to the heart of

the complex to look for clues to Dendera's purpose.

The colossal facade of the central temple features

six vast columns, each one 50 feet tall.

six vast columns, each one 50 feet tall.

And on the top of each column, a mysterious figure.

The figure on the top of

the columns must be extremely important.

These are the head of a powerful entity,

perhaps a deity, and it looks like she has some cow-like

features, like for the ears, for instance.

NARRATOR: Most of the figure's key features have been removed.

It makes it difficult for Cedric to establish

who the God is or what it might represent.

who the God is or what it might represent.

Cedric examines the temple's exterior walls

for clues to the deity.

Here, she has the horns on the top of her head.

She's having the sun disc between these horns,

which means that she must be very powerful,

very powerful goddess, because sun is linked

with life and power.

She is depicted all over the walls of

the temple and on many features of this monument.

the temple and on many features of this monument.

NARRATOR: Cedric is curious to learn more about the goddess.

He ventures inside the temple.

It is breathtaking.

The vast walls and columns

are covered with inscriptions and images.

No surface is left undecorated.

The preservation is unique in Egypt.

The colors are still vivid after millennia.

Cedric looks for evidence to identify this mysterious deity,

Cedric looks for evidence to identify this mysterious deity,

and something catches his eye.

A large relief of the goddess sits on the interior wall.

The same goddess that we've been seeing

all around in this temple.

NARRATOR: Ancient hieroglyphs surround the image.

GOBEIL: I can read her name, and her name is right there --

Hathor.

So it's the goddess Hathor.

NARRATOR: Hathor is a powerful female goddess worshiped from

NARRATOR: Hathor is a powerful female goddess worshiped from

the Old Kingdom until the Greco-Roman period of

Egyptian history.

What Hathor represents from what I gathered here that

she represents a very positive

aspect of life, among those love

dance, music, motherhood.

NARRATOR: The image of the goddess Hathor is everywhere,

most notably at the apex of the huge pillars.

Ancient Egyptian pharaohs build the main structure

as a temple to worship her.

as a temple to worship her.

Pepi I, a pharaoh of Egypt's Old Kingdom

is the first to build here,

over 4,000 years ago.

There must have been a lot of very important

and sacred rituals happening in this temple.

NARRATOR: In its prime, hieroglyphic inscriptions adorn

the 24 sandstone pillars of this hall.

At their top,

At their top,

the faces of Hathor are painted in vivid colors.

At the back of the temple,

22 chambers surround a sanctuary.

Inside are two sacred barques and a stone shrine

for a 6-foot golden statue of Hathor.

Can clues within the temple reveal

what sacred rituals take place here?

what sacred rituals take place here?

Evidence may lie in the thousands of images

and hieroglyphs that cover the walls,

but many are difficult to decipher.

The temple lies abandoned for centuries

after the fall of the pharaohs.

Sand, dirt, and soot builds up over the ancient reliefs,

concealing them from investigators.

Mamdouh Ghandar is an expert in ancient restoration.

Mamdouh Ghandar is an expert in ancient restoration.

He and his team are tasked

with restoring Hathor Temple's centuries-old reliefs.

They work chamber by chamber

to delicately transform the ancient walls,

removing layers of soot from modern settlers' fires

to reveal previously hidden details.

NARRATOR: Mamdouh starts by removing the compacted dirt

with a fine brush.

Next, he applies a paper press with a specialized

chemical solution to remove the final layer of dirt.

Mamdouh and his team have restored

up to half of the temple's reliefs.

And now Cedric can investigate them to

find out what rituals are performed here.

Cedric makes his way up the ancient staircase.

I see a group of priests carrying a portable shrine

and all they have these leather straps

around their neck -- must have been very heavy.

And the reason is, inside was

the gold statue of the goddess Hathor.

NARRATOR: These reliefs imitate the priests who walk

these exact steps over 2,000 years ago.

And for the ancient Egyptians, it was not only a statue,

And for the ancient Egyptians, it was not only a statue,

it was the goddess herself.

NARRATOR: The procession is evidence of

an important event in the Egyptian calendar --

the Egyptian New Year.

Every new year before sunrise,

the temple priests purify themselves

in the ceremonial pool.

They then carry the golden statue

of Hathor up the sacred staircase

of Hathor up the sacred staircase

to the temple roof.

Here they place the statue in a small chapel

so it is ready to be exposed to the first rays of the sun.

As the dawn breaks, the sun illuminates the statue,

and Hathor is reunited with her father,

the sun god, Re.

Cedric investigates the rooftop chapel.

GOBEIL: While it was covered with a veil,

the priest, while standing outside, would have been waiting

for the sun to be at the right position.

At that very moment, they would have unveiled

the kiosk,

therefore revealing the statue to the rays of sunlight.

That would have made this goddess,

Hathor, being fully rejuvenated by the sun.

NARRATOR: The rulers of ancient Egypt built this magnificent

NARRATOR: The rulers of ancient Egypt built this magnificent

temple to honor the powerful and popular goddess, Hathor.

Here, they celebrate her rebirth

and all the positive aspects she represents.

But Dendera's magnificent reliefs

depict more than just Hathor.

Why does Egypt's most alluring pharaoh, Cleopatra,

depict herself as the goddess Hathor here?

Could unique reliefs discovered around the site

Could unique reliefs discovered around the site

hold clues?

NARRATOR: Dendera, Egypt,

a holy site centered around

a temple to the powerful goddess, Hathor.

But Hathor is not the only goddess depicted here.

Cedric Gobeil investigates a stunning relief

at the back of the temple.

Here, I see the image of a very important person,

and I know that, because we have a pair of cartouche

and I know that, because we have a pair of cartouche

in front of it.

So it must be a pharaoh of some kind.

There's a K-L-O-P-A,

so Cleo,

then D-R-A -- Cleopatra.

This is fantastic.

This is an image of the queen, Cleopatra,

the legendary ruler.

There's the horn of a cow, the sun disc between the horns.

So she's really seeing herself

and putting herself here as a goddess.

NARRATOR: Cleopatra is Egypt's last pharaoh, born

NARRATOR: Cleopatra is Egypt's last pharaoh, born

in 69 BCE from Greek Macedonian heritage.

She rules the country for 21 years

from her capital, Alexandria.

She is an accomplished mathematician

and a gifted linguist, fluent in nine languages.

Cleopatra is the only foreign ruler

who learns to speak the Egyptian language.

This relief is powerful evidence

of her direct association with Hathor.

This representation of Cleopatra,

This representation of Cleopatra,

in fact, is very rare.

Only very few evidences remain in Egypt of her.

NARRATOR: Cedric hunts for further evidence

of why Cleopatra associates herself with Dendera.

He explores an intriguing structure near

to her relief, which could contain clues.

Hathor's temple is the main structure at Dendera.

Next to it,

two small chapels -- in the furthest,

a columned entrance leads to three rooms.

The last is a sanctuary

for a statue of Hathor nursing the child god, Ihy.

Priests come here to honor the birth of the gods

and to celebrate the birth of new pharaohs.

What can this small chapel tell us

about Hathor and Cleopatra's devotion to her?

Cedric investigates a relief on

the exterior of the small chapel.

This is a very good representation

of the goddess Hathor.

In fact, she's not here only represented as a goddess

but as a mother goddess, because we can see

that she's breastfeeding a child god.

There's a hieroglyph here that can be read,

There's a hieroglyph here that can be read,

"mut n,"

which can be translated "mother of,"

and she's clearly here the mother to gods.

NARRATOR: Cedric explores the inside wall

of the chapel for more evidence.

GOBEIL: We clearly see the goddess Hathor offering

the ankh sign, the symbol of life, to the coming pharaoh.

This not only tells us that Hathor was the mother of

the gods, but that she was also

the mother to the pharaohs.

Maybe this is why Cleopatra depicts herself as Hathor.

Maybe this is why Cleopatra depicts herself as Hathor.

NARRATOR: Cedric wants to find out

why Cleopatra depicts herself as Hathor,

the divine mother to gods and pharaohs.

He believes the reason could be linked

with her efforts to maintain her political power.

What I'm looking at here are two coins.

The one to the right depicts Mark Antony,

a late partner of Cleopatra.

a late partner of Cleopatra.

Whereas the coin to the left depicts Cleopatra herself.

The first thing I see is that she is depicting herself

with Romanesque features that are similar

to those of Mark Antony.

She's trying to establish a clear affiliation with

the world dominant power at the time, the Roman Empire.

NARRATOR: In 51 BCE,

Cleopatra succeeds her father, Ptolemy XII,

but has to share the throne with her 10-year-old brother.

but has to share the throne with her 10-year-old brother.

A power struggle between the two siblings

forces the queen to flee from Egypt.

She plots her return to power,

forms an alliance with Julius Caesar,

[baby crying]

and bears him a child, Caesarion.

Caesar's mighty Roman legions

help Cleopatra defeat her brother

and reclaim the Egyptian throne.

and reclaim the Egyptian throne.

GOBEIL: Cleopatra was a formidable diplomat.

Despite seeking alliances with Rome,

she was determined to keep Egypt independent

and under her rule.

NARRATOR: The precarious power politics could help

explain Cleopatra's efforts

to depict herself as at one with Hathor.

Cedric returns to the relief of Cleopatra

on the main temple

on the main temple

to piece together the clues.

It was very smart of Cleopatra to choose

to depict herself as one of the most beloved goddesses.

By doing so, she was trying to increase her popularity

with the Egyptians at a difficult time in

the country's history.

In fact, it was a very good political strategy.

NARRATOR: Cleopatra is a savvy politician,

and she has one eye on the future.

Next to Cleopatra is a depiction of

the son that she had with Caesar, Caesarion.

the son that she had with Caesar, Caesarion.

By portraying herself as the goddess Hathor,

she was also legitimizing her son,

Caesarion, as the rightful ruler after her.

NARRATOR: Cleopatra adds her reliefs to the temple

around 44 BCE.

But Dendera and the worship of Hathor begin long before then.

Who are the rulers of

the mighty civilization that builds this temple?

the mighty civilization that builds this temple?

Can crypts hidden deep beneath the temple's structure

hold important clues?

NARRATOR: The great temple of

Hathor at the mysterious complex of Dendera.

Its spectacular reliefs make it unique.

But what's hidden beneath these ornate chambers

is equally compelling.

Below the temple,

Below the temple,

a series of crypts stretches 300 feet underground.

In one of the crypts at the back of the temple,

priests store small ceremonial objects

and offerings for festivals to the goddess...

an ancient musical instrument,

a sistrum, carved in the likeness of Hathor,

an incense burner,

bread,

and even beer jars.

Could these crypts reveal more clues

about the rulers that build this temple?

Cedric Gobeil searches the subterranean crypts....

The access is very low.

...for evidence of the main temple's construction.

Here I can see gods and goddesses

Here I can see gods and goddesses

from Egypt's deep past.

I can clearly recognize Tefnut

and Nucknun.

They're absolutely beautiful.

NARRATOR: He makes his way through the chambers

and discovers a depiction of a pharaoh

resplendent in his distinctive headdress.

GOBEIL: This is Ptolemy XII.

He was Cleopatra's father, and he ruled Egypt for 26 years.

He was one of the last members of

He was one of the last members of

one of the last dynasties of ancient Egypt, the Ptolomies.

NARRATOR: The Ptolemies are the final dynasty

of 3,000 years of ancient Egypt.

This evidence of Ptolemy XII in

the crypt is vital for Cedric's understanding of

Dendera temple.

This image of Ptolemy XII is an important discovery,

because it tells me that the construction

of this temple was started under his reign.

NARRATOR: Cedric wants to find out why the Ptolemies

choose to construct this magnificent temple to Hathor

at Dendera.

He ascends to the ground floor of the temple

to look for clues in its best preserved room, the Pronaos.

On the ceiling is a series of cryptic images,

strange creatures and mysterious gods,

which could help his investigation.

Here, we have the depiction of the night sky,

Here, we have the depiction of the night sky,

and we see some constellations there that are represented

with Egyptian gods.

Some other star signs are absolutely familiar to us.

For example, the Scorpio here or the Sagittarius sign.

NARRATOR: The symbols are signs of the zodiac,

which aren't typically used in ancient Egypt

and must derive from elsewhere.

Cedric deciphers their origin.

GOBEIL: These star signs are of Greek influence.

GOBEIL: These star signs are of Greek influence.

The Ptolemies are not native Egyptian rulers.

They are Macedonian Greeks, and they bring with

them the reading of the cosmos to Egypt.

And it's the very same one that we use today.

NARRATOR: The Ptolemaic dynasty follows

a tumultuous period in Egyptian history.

Around 500 BCE,

Egypt falls under Persian rule

and, for 200 years, remains a vassal state of this empire.

and, for 200 years, remains a vassal state of this empire.

In 334 BCE,

Greek leader Alexander the Great conquers

Persian territories

before setting his sights on Egypt.

His army overthrows the Persian occupiers,

and Alexander is hailed as a liberator in Egypt.

He is crowned pharaoh but dies shortly after.

He is crowned pharaoh but dies shortly after.

His general, Ptolomy, succeeds him

and establishes the Ptolemaic dynasty.

The Ptolemies rule Egypt for 275 years, from 305 BCE

until the death of Cleopatra in 30 BCE.

They are an authoritarian Greek elite.

They build temples across Egypt in

a blend of Greek and Egyptian style

to solidify their presence as the new rightful rulers.

to solidify their presence as the new rightful rulers.

And they take special care

to worship the ancient Egyptian deities,

like Isis at Philae

and Hathor at Dendera.

They build an exquisite temple like no other.

It is decorated with more vibrant

and intricate images than any before it.

What is the meaning of

the zodiac symbols that cover the ceiling?

Could they hold clues to what happens in this temple?

Could they hold clues to what happens in this temple?

NARRATOR: Dendera.

For thousands of years,

this temple complex is

a significant religious site for ancient Egyptians.

Constructed over centuries by successive pharaohs,

it stands today as one of

the best preserved temples in Egypt.

The ceiling is covered with ancient

The ceiling is covered with ancient

depictions of constellations of the night sky...

...the star signs of both

ancient Egyptian pharaohs and Greek rulers,

but on the roof of the temple

is a relief that has confounded investigators

for centuries.

On the ceiling of this small chapel,

beneath a layer of soot,

archaeologists discover a stunning carving.

Originally painted in vivid colors,

it depicts figures and mystical signs

inscribed on a disc.

Thirty-six Egyptian gods surround the outside.

Other Egyptian gods

and Greek zodiac signs fill the middle.

These icons from different cultures seem

to be arranged in a specific order.

to be arranged in a specific order.

What does this ceiling tell us

about the ancient understanding of the universe?

Yossra Ibrahim is an expert in ancient Egyptian astronomy.

She examines Dendera's chapel to decode

the mysteries of this incredible zodiac.

IBRAHIM: The ceiling at Dendera is one of the earliest

Egyptian zodiacs

we have available for investigation.

And after years of research,

And after years of research,

there is still a lot to learn about these zodiacal images.

NARRATOR: Investigators have debated

when the Dendera zodiac is created.

Many believe it dates to the end of

the Ptolemaic period and the rule of Cleopatra.

The original Zodiac is now in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

It is removed and taken there in the 1800s.

The ceiling of the chapel today holds

an exact replica for investigators to examine.

an exact replica for investigators to examine.

This 8-foot-wide carving offers a unique

insight into how the ancient Egyptians viewed the cosmos.

IBRAHIM: The zodiac is one of the visual

and graphic representations

of the ancient Egyptian night sky.

NARRATOR: The zodiac depicts the heavens as a disc held

up by four female pillars and assisted by eight falcons.

Twenty-four hands hold up the disc.

Twenty-four hands hold up the disc.

IBRAHIM: Around the circle, we have different deities.

These deities represent decans.

The decans here are special stars utilized by

the Ancient Egyptians to record and measure time.

NARRATOR: A decan is a star that appears

in the eastern sky at dawn,

right before the sun rises.

A new decan star group appears every 10 days.

Ancient Egyptians use this recurring event

to regulate their calendar.

to regulate their calendar.

IBRAHIM: By accurately measuring time,

the ancient Egyptians were able to determine the time of

important festivals, such as

the New Year's Festival, and seasonal changes that were

central to the Egyptian society.

NARRATOR: The 12 Zodiac signs represent

the 12 months of the year, then just as now.

IBRAHIM: In the middle of the zodiac,

we have several star constellations.

Some of them took the Egyptian iconography

and represent Egyptian concepts,

while others look familiar to us today.

while others look familiar to us today.

For example, we have Leo depicted as a lion striding on

a snake, Pisces as fish tied to ropes,

and Scorpio.

NARRATOR: This incredible scene blends ancient Egyptian

and Greek ideas of how the universe can be understood.

Astronomer priests carefully study the cosmos.

The regular appearance of stars and constellations in

the night sky is recorded across the centuries.

the night sky is recorded across the centuries.

They use their records to make sense of

their universe and to try to predict the future.

IBRAHIM: The zodiac is a representation of how

the ancient Egyptians visualized the night sky.

Astronomy in itself is a very practical science.

The Egyptians depended on it for the measuring of time.

NARRATOR: Yossra explores how the ancient astronomer priests

track the stars across the night sky.

IBRAHIM: The ancient Egyptian priest astronomers would climb

IBRAHIM: The ancient Egyptian priest astronomers would climb

to the roof during the night and use these tools,

the merkhet and the sighting rod in order to find the stars

and plot them as they crossed the ancient night sky.

NARRATOR: Dendera's priests are expert astronomers.

They use cutting-edge ancient technology to study the cosmos.

So the merkhet is this L-shaped wooden object,

and attached to it is

the plumb line and the bob to hold it steady in its place.

the plumb line and the bob to hold it steady in its place.

The merkhet would be used in conjunction

with the sighting rod in order to

plot the exact location of the star and track it

as it crosses the sky, so perhaps like this.

NARRATOR: Ancient priests use the merkhet

to observe the stars and planets in the sky.

They group stars into constellations, patterns

They group stars into constellations, patterns

representing Egyptian gods

and the Greek signs of the zodiac.

The priests map out the ancient sky on the ceiling

of the Hathor Temple

so that they can try to predict the will of the gods.

They use the stars to devise a calendar for

their religious festivals and predict

when the Nile will flood.

The priests practice and perfect

The priests practice and perfect

their astronomy at Dendera.

Their knowledge of the cosmos gives them great power.

The temple of Dendera is more

than a celebration of the goddess Hathor,

it's a place where we can decode the Egyptian universe.

How do ancient engineers construct

this magnificent dual purpose temple?

Could clues lie buried beneath the desert sands?

NARRATOR: Hathor Temple looms over the site of Dendera.

This structure dominates the desert landscape.

It has stood here for millennia.

Cedric Gobeil investigates how the ancient engineers

build this majestic temple in the sand.

This is a religious site for thousands of years

before Cleopatra makes her additions to the temple.

before Cleopatra makes her additions to the temple.

NARRATOR: Cedric's eye is drawn to what looks like

an old wall, half buried beneath the sand,

but there's more here than meets the eye.

GOBEIL: These are mud brick foundations, and these are

set before the construction of the whole temple.

And this is the very first stage

of the construction of the whole building.

NARRATOR: It is a hidden example of ancient engineering

NARRATOR: It is a hidden example of ancient engineering

at its finest.

Ancient Egyptians build a 600-foot-long

mud brick enclosure for the foundations.

They fill it with sand

before laying down slabs of stone

to produce a flat surface.

On top, they erect their temple.

Egyptian temples like this usually align with

Egyptian temples like this usually align with

the path of the sun from east to west.

But in Dendera,

the temple of Hathor deviates by 90 degrees.

Why does Dendera break from tradition?

Cedric is on a mission to find out.

He makes his way to the temple roof.

When Egyptian engineers build a temple,

they do so with the greatest precision.

The sun is always central in every religious ritual.

The sun is always central in every religious ritual.

This is why most of the temples are built along

an east-west axis,

but then Dendera is different.

There must be a reason.

NARRATOR: Cedric scans the landscape for clues.

In the distance to the southwest is a mountain range.

GOBEIL: This range is called the Western Mountains.

It is of a sacred importance to the ancient Egyptians,

partly because the sun is sitting behind it.

partly because the sun is sitting behind it.

Hathor is known as the goddess of the Western Mountains.

NARRATOR: Ancient priests and engineers choose

this site for the temple to Hathor

due to its proximity to this sacred mountain range.

But the orientation to the north

rather than the east remains a mystery.

Cedric launches a high-resolution

drone-mounted camera...

[robotic voice] Take off.

...to explore the surrounding area for clues.

...to explore the surrounding area for clues.

The access of the temple.

And then from here, if you could start

then also to go a little bit higher.

Yeah, please. Yeah.

-Towards the Nile? -Yeah. Yes, absolutely.

-We clearly see, yes, -Mountains.

the enclosure, the whole site.

We really have the whole -- the whole landscape

of the temple.

It's absolutely amazing.

So from what I see, actually the temple is facing

So from what I see, actually the temple is facing

north towards the Nile,

but the bank of the Nile is located one mile away.

So the access to the river must have changed over time.

NARRATOR: The access changes due to centuries

of irrigation and damming.

In ancient times, the Nile flows

directly in front of this complex.

The Nile's position is more than a coincidence.

The Nile's position is more than a coincidence.

It could explain the temple's unusual orientation.

Cedric heads due north towards

the Nile out of Dendera's main gateway.

He soon comes across the remains

of what could be an important clue.

GOBEIL: I see the outline of an ancient ruin that appears

to be either an access ramp or a boat pier.

These are the remains of a large man-made harbor,

These are the remains of a large man-made harbor,

allowing access to boats to the temple.

And this is hugely significant, because without proper access

to the river, the temple would have been

cut off from the lifeline of Egypt.

It is essential that goods and offerings

can easily reach the Dendera temple complex.

NARRATOR: The Nile is the main transport route in Egypt.

Priests rely on its waters to

ship food and ritual offerings to Dendera.

They also view the Nile as sacred

for its life-giving powers

and monitor its flood cycle using a set of stairs called

a Nilometer.

Before the flood season,

the priests tow the statue of Hathor over

100 miles up the Nile, from Dendera

to another temple in Edfu.

Here, Hathor is reunited with the falcon god, Horus,

so that the two can conceive the child god, Ihy.

so that the two can conceive the child god, Ihy.

Ancient priests and engineers need

a location that both honors the goddess Hathor

and allows quick and easy access to the Nile.

Every aspect of the temple has

been designed to fit a specific need.

Ancient engineers considered the construction, position,

and orientation of the temple with the utmost care.

NARRATOR: Pharaohs use this site for their rituals

for thousands of years,

all the way through to Cleopatra, who holds it in

high regard.

After the fall of Cleopatra, what becomes of Dendera?

Could one of the last structures to be built

at this extraordinary site

reveal clues to its later use?

NARRATOR: Dendera.

Much of the existing temple complex is

built under the rule of Egypt's last pharaohs,

the Ptolomies,

particularly Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII.

Cedric wants to find out if Dendera can

reveal who rules Egypt after this last dynasty.

reveal who rules Egypt after this last dynasty.

He hunts for the last structure to be built at Dendera

and returns to the small chapel.

Distinctive hieroglyphic texts here can date its construction

and are a clue to what happens to Egypt

after Cleopatra's rule.

In 44 BCE, a group of senators kill Caesar.

Cleopatra is left with no ally in Rome.

Cleopatra is left with no ally in Rome.

She begins an affair with Caesar's general, Mark Antony.

He joins her in Alexandria and declares Caesar's son,

Caesarion, as the ruler of Rome's eastern provinces.

But Caesar's adopted son, Octavian, sees this

as a threat to his own ambition.

He invades Egypt in 30 BCE and defeats Mark Antony.

In despair, Cleopatra commits suicide

In despair, Cleopatra commits suicide

ending 275 years of Ptolemaic rule

and marking the beginning of Roman Egypt.

After Cleopatra's death,

Egypt is subsumed by the growing Roman Empire.

But clues at Dendera suggest that Egyptian and Greek

culture and religion continue to thrive under Roman rule.

Cedric studies the exterior of the small chapel.

GOBEIL: We believe that it was constructed

GOBEIL: We believe that it was constructed

by no less than Octavian.

After he defeated Cleopatra,

he became emperor of Rome and he changed his name

to Augustus.

He constructed this to project power over his new dominion.

However, the construction also makes another statement,

that Rome was willing

to allow the continuation of the practice of Egyptian

religion and customs.

NARRATOR: Cedric scours the small chapel for

more clues about Egypt under Roman rule.

more clues about Egypt under Roman rule.

He examines a stunning relief.

Wow.

This is really extraordinary.

We have here the Emperor Trojan himself, and we clearly

see that, because of -- he has his cartouche here,

where you have his name, he is depicted

as an Egyptian pharaoh.

He is wearing the red crown, and here on the belt,

he is having the word pharaoh.

And what he's doing is giving offerings to no other

And what he's doing is giving offerings to no other

than the goddess of the Dendera temple herself, Hathor.

NARRATOR: Long after the fall of the Ptolemies,

Roman rulers are still portrayed adhering to

the religious customs and traditions of ancient Egypt.

After the death of Cleopatra,

Rome conquers Egypt.

However, Dendera shows us that culturally,

However, Dendera shows us that culturally,

it is Egypt that has conquered Rome.

NARRATOR: Dendera's divine temple is an ancient marvel,

from its colossal columns to its elaborate interior.

Dedicated to the mother goddess, Hathor,

discoveries here shed new light on how

Cleopatra portrays herself as a living goddess

Cleopatra portrays herself as a living goddess

and allow investigators to decode how

the ancients understand their universe

through the mysterious zodiac.

Dendera's treasures survived for millennia.

It is one of the best preserved temples

in all of Egypt.