Madrid's Templo de Debod, an Egyptian monument over 2,000 years old, shows inscriptions and scratches on its stones from past vandalism. Vice-Mayor Inma Sanz stated that these damages date back several years and are not recent. The City Council rules out covering the open-air temple.
Madrid's Templo de Debod, in the Parque del Oeste near Plaza de España, displays vandalism marks on its Ptolemaic-era portals, including symbols, names, and initials carved into the stones.
Vice-Mayor Inma Sanz said after the XIV Carrera de Bomberos de Madrid that the damages “are not from now” but “from several years ago”. She added: “It is true that some damage has occurred, but it is not easy to rehabilitate because it is in the stone [...] we have no alerts at this time of any vandalism in recent times”.
Weather, pollution, and visitor traffic contribute to wear, worsened by the temporary absence of the surrounding water sheet. Witnesses reported unauthorized access attempts during Holy Week, stopped by security. Culture Delegate Marta Rivera de la Cruz ruled out covering it in 2022 after a study deemed its condition “reasonable”, and announced plans to restore the pool.
Donated by Egypt in 1968 to thank Spain for aiding in Nubian temple rescues, the temple opened to the public in 1972 and houses a free museum with online tickets.
