The Dendera Temple Complex 37 miles north of Luxor is a series of shrines and chapels which date back to the Predynastic Period (c.5500-c.3100 BC). The site is surrounded by a massive mud brick wall compound. The main temple is dedicated to HATHOR and was built during the Graeco-Roman Period (322 BC-395 AD) although the exact dates cannot be confirmed as a number of cartouches inside are blank. It is thought that the temple was begun in the reign of Ptolemy X11 who died in 51 BC. At the date of his death it had only been worked on for about 4 years but was completed by Queen Cleopatra V11 who died in 30 BC. The decoration of the outer walls, had at the time of her death, just begun. The early Christians, hoever, set fire to the temple and destroyed many carvings. The soot from these fires did not as the Christians believed, destroy the reliefs but infact preserved them. Recently a cleaning method has been discovered that allows the soot to be removed without damaging the colours and today the ceilings and top of the pillars can be seen in all their glory. The temple is today regarded as the best preserved in all of EGYPT.