The Temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo

Our boat is docked between two others so not much of a view out of the windows today. A busy day in store with visits to Edfu Temple and Kom Ombo, with a cruise further up the Nile in between. A later start this morning so we got to lie in until 7:20am ready for breakfast at 8:00am and departure at 9:00am. As we arrive at Edfu Temple, we face the obligatory bazaar and Aassem warns us that one or two of the shops are a bit "dodgy" (he doesn't elaborate), so enter at your own risk ! He also advises that you should stay outside the white line as you get a better price ! Inside the white line and you will pay more ! The traders here will 'welcome' with open arms and offers of bargains of all types you as you step off the coach and walk to the temple ! Note: On a subsequent visit in 2005, we noted that the area had been tidied up considerably. However, we did find some of the younger traders very aggressive so beware !

As we enter Edfu Temple grounds, the size of the building becomes apparent. It is the largest temple in Egypt. Built in 237 BC it had been covered by sand for many years and even built over, which in view of the size, I found difficult to comprehend. As you approach the temple (from the back) note that from the centre of the wall, the ../Images and hieroglyphs are symmetrical - what you see on the left side is also on the right side. Balance was key to ancient Egyptians.

Rear wall of Edfu Temple - the first view you get as you enter the site

	The pylon at the entrance to Edfu Temple. All temples have such a pylon and they are all the same height - 23 metres. You can see that some of the hieroglyphs have been defaced - not by modern day vandals but by invaders who defaced them when they occupied the temple. The ../Images of Ptolemy XIII slaughtering his enemies were there to frighten off unwelcome visitors.
The mighty pylons at the entrance to Edfu Temple

As you walk around the walls of Edfu Temple, you cannot fail to be amazed and impressed at the vast quantity of hieroglyphs on all of the walls - on both sides. Here you can see those which had been defaced by earlier invaders of the temple after the Egyptians had either fled or abandoned it. All the faces have been painstakingly removed, presumably using a chisel and hammer. However, many still remain intact inside the temple.

Defaced hieroglyphs at Edfu Temple

The temple still contains the granite altar in the sanctuary where Horus's sacred boat would have rested. A model of such a boat now lies there so that you can see what it would have been like. Seven doors always lead to this part of the temple, where you can also find the holy of holies. Only priests were allowed in these areas - don't think of priests like I did as religious people. They were in fact the scholars such as engineers and architects, with architects being held in great esteem. As an engineer myself, it seems strange to think that in ancient Egyptian times, I would have been thought of as a priest. Aassem told us that the highest level of priest was that of prophet. Sometimes, for special occasions such as New Year, the priests would allow Egyptians into the temple, but only so far and never into the holy of holies.

The Solar Boat in the Holy of Holies

As you have seen in the photograph above, many of the hieroglyphs have been defaced either because of superstition or fear, but there are many walls in Edfu Temple and the 'vandals' just didn't have time to get round them all and deface them all. This photograph shows a good example of what you can see, with Aassem trying his best to explain to us what they mean ! Note that he is quite happy stood in the sun while the rest of us were cowering in the shade away from the sun and heat and it was only 9:30am ! This was a fascinating place to visit, if only because of the sheer size of it. Again, there was insufficient time to see it all (we had about 2 hours) and take everything in, but it was well worth it.

Aassem explains all !

As we left the site, I was cajoled into buying two gallebeos for that night's Egyptian night on the boat. I ended up paying 60 Egyptian pounds (£12) for two after a pretty feeble attempt at haggling, so a bit dearer than those offered from the "boats" but I did stay outside the white line so I assume I got a cheaper price ! So it was back to the boat for lunch, an afternoon cruise up the Nile and an early evening trip to Kom Ombo Temple.

Kom Ombo Temple

You can see the Temple of Kom Ombo as you sail up the River Nile and you berth within five minutes walk ... but of course you have to run the gauntlet of the tourist trap or market ! As you can see from the photograph, clothing is the main type of goods that are on sale, especially dresses and gallebeos. You will also note that the market was popular with the Europeans !
	Kom Ombo Market - not for the faint hearted

But what of Kom Ombo itself ? This temple is dedicated to two gods; Horus the Elder and Sorbek. Construction began in 180 BC by Ptolemy VI and was completed in about 14 AD. Horus the Elder was known as the 'good doctor' and it was fascinating to see carvings of medical instruments on the wall, confirming that ancient Egyptian surgeons performed quite complex operations. The temple is dramatically located on a bend in the river but unfortunately the pylon and forecourt were swept away, presumably by a flood. In the courtyard you can find a Nilometer, used for measuring the height of the river, which was used as a basis for setting the taxes. The Chapel of Hathor which is near the entrance, houses a collection of mummified crocodiles - I resisted the temptation. We arrived here at dusk and so we were able to watch the sun set over the West Bank of the Nile which was very beautiful.

Kom Ombo (lacking focus !)

An example of one of the pillars inside Kom Ombo Temple. Again the colours are the original and have not been touched up or renovated, although some repairs have been made to the column. This is not one of the best examples in Kom Ombo. Many of the others are in better condition, with excellent carvings and details. Some of the columns depict lilies (the sign of Upper Egypt) and some show the papyrus (the sign of Lower Egypt). This is done to proclaim the unity between Upper and Lower Egypt. As we toured the site, Aassem reminded us that all the stones and rocks that we saw, was only the half of it. There would be an equivalent amount under our feet for the foundations ! Again, our thoughts went to the manpower that must have been used to transport all the stone and erect it.

Column at Kom Ombo Temple