Campaigners battle to save 'crumbling' ancient Egyptian monument from doom

The Temple of Debod arrived in the Spanish capital in 1968 as a gesture of gratitude from Cairo for Spain's role in salvaging the Abu Simbel monuments.

Egypt's gift, however, came with obligations: the sandstone structure had to be sheltered and preserved.

Three other Nubian temples were donated to the United States, Italy and the Netherlands. And all three nations reconstructed them beneath protective roofs or within enclosures.

Spain alone left its temple entirely exposed to the elements, making it the only one of the four still open to the weather nearly six decades later, The Times reports.

The Egyptologist and historian Tito Vivas has spearheaded a campaign that has thrust the monument's deterioration into the spotlight.

"More than half a century ago, Egypt gifted Spain the Temple of Debod as a sign of gratitude for its help in rescuing the Nubian monuments.

But that gift came with conditions: protect it and cover it. The United States, Italy and the Netherlands complied. Spain did not," Mr Vivas said.

He added: "The stone is crumbling, the temple is degrading and we still fail to honour the commitment we signed," he said. "A gift that was also a responsibility. And today, we are still letting it die."

Mr Vivas's public denunciation prompted a private consortium of Madrid business figures to take action.

The competition has been set-up by Madrid Foro Empresarial (MFE), a local business organisation, which has called on universities and architecture schools across Europe, the United States and Egypt to put forward designs by mid-September.

Three winning proposals will be presented to Madrid's city council as potential blueprints for development.

The contest is open to architects, engineers, practices and students of any nationality, with a cash prize totalling €15,000 (£12,830).

Mr Vivas will sit on the judging panel.

The goal, organisers have stressed, is not merely to erect a covering over the temple but to find inventive solutions that shield the structure while preserving its character.

Hilario Alfaro, the MFE's president, said: "Cultural heritage belongs to all citizens and, when the authorities cannot find solutions, civil society must also contribute ideas."

The temple, perched on a hill in the Parque del Oeste with sweeping views of the Royal Palace, has suffered years of neglect.

Its sandstone walls have been repeatedly defaced with graffiti.

A reflective pool that once encircled the monument, keeping visitors at a respectful distance, was drained and allowed to fall into disrepair.

Mr Vivas has described the site as little more than an "urban ornament", serving primarily as a backdrop for Instagram photographs and teenage drinking gatherings known as botellones.

Madrid's city council maintains it has spent €500,000 (£427,630) on conservation since 2015 and announced plans in 2020 to expedite work on covering the monument.