The Temple of Kalabsha is named after the village of Kalabsha, which is 65 kilometers south of Aswan Dam. The city was known in ancient times for its various temples and was later called Talames by the Greeks.
The temple goes back to Roman times and the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus. It was dedicated to the Nubian god Mandoulis. After Augustus, other emperors also contributed to further construction, including Caligula and Trajan.
The Temple of Kalabsha was originally built on a much earlier site that dates back to the 18th dynasty and most probably goes back to King Thothmosis and Amenhotep II. The temple is considered among the most complete temples in all of Nubia.