Madrid · Spain
Temple of Debod
A practical guide to the Temple of Debod in Madrid: the Egyptian temple in Parque del Oeste, when to arrive for sunset, what to see outside and what to know about the interior, closed since March 2026.
Worth it for the sunset and the outside, which are free. The interior is small, and on top of that it has been closed since March 2026.
The Temple of Debod is an Egyptian temple from the 2nd century BC that now stands at the top of Madrid’s Parque del Oeste, near Plaza de España. It comes from the Aswan area and was brought to Spain stone by stone. For many people in Madrid, it is the place to watch the sunset.
Our experience
We visited on Friday, May 22, our first day in Madrid, to close out the afternoon. We walked over from Bodega de la Ardosa, in Malasaña, arriving at 17:20, and stayed until after the 21:20 sunset. We chose to get there that early because we had read that on Friday evenings it fills up with people coming to watch the sun go down, and we wanted a good spot on the grass.
The interior was already listed as temporarily closed in our notes from March 2026, so we did not count it as part of the visit. What we were after was the outside: the temple reflected in the pool and the light on the stone. From there we took a taxi to the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes.
A bit of history
When Egypt built the Aswan dam, the water was going to flood the monuments of Nubia, and Spain helped rescue them. In thanks, in 1968 Egypt gave Spain this temple, which was taken apart, moved and put back together in Madrid.
Inside there are reliefs of King Adikhalamani, which you will be able to see when the interior reopens. Since 1968 the temple has been part of the landscape of Parque del Oeste, looking out toward the Sierra de Guadarrama.
How it fits into your day
It is about a 20-minute walk from the Gran Vía and close to the Royal Palace. See our first day in Madrid for how we fit it in.
What to see, in order
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The pool
The shallow rectangular pool that reflects the temple. From the east side the temple sits right in the middle.
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The temple from outside
A temple from the 2nd century BC that stood near Aswan. At golden hour the stone turns amber.
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The view west
From the top of the park you see the rooftops of Madrid and, in the distance, the Sierra de Guadarrama, which turns pink at sunset.
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The Parque del Oeste rose garden
About 200 meters away, a free rose garden that is in full bloom in May.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- The interior, with the reliefs of King Adikhalamani, has been closed since March 2026. If it has reopened by your date, check the hours: according to our notes it closed at 20:00, before the May sunset.
- Bring something to drink and snack on from a nearby supermarket and find a spot on the grass: that is how sunset is done here.
- After the sun goes down, stay about 15 minutes more, as the sky darkens and the city lights come on.
Do
- Arrive early on Fridays and weekends.
- Pair it with the Gran Vía or Malasaña, both a 20-minute walk away.
- If it rains, save it for another day of the trip: without the sunset it loses almost everything.
Don’t
- Do not plan the visit around the interior: it is small and secondary, and it is closed.
- Do not show up right at sunset on a Friday expecting a good spot.
Frequently asked questions
Is the inside of the Temple of Debod open?
It had been temporarily closed since March 2026 when we went. The outside, the pool and the park are still open to everyone.
How much does it cost to get in?
Nothing. The outside is open access, and the interior, when it opens, has also been free.
What time is best to go?
One or two hours before sunset. In May the sun sets around 21:20.
Why is there an Egyptian temple in Madrid?
Egypt gave it to Spain in 1968 in thanks for its help saving the Nubian temples that the Aswan dam was going to flood.