Edfu Temple

Edfu was built between 237 and 57 BC on the site of an older temple, and because sand and later a village buried it almost completely until Auguste Mariette cleared it in the 1860s, it survives more completely than any other temple in Egypt: pylons standing to full height, roof in place, courts, hypostyle halls, sanctuary and the granite shrine still inside it. Two black granite falcons flank the entrance. The walls carry the fullest surviving account of temple ritual and mythology, including the long text and images of the conflict between Horus and Seth performed as a sacred drama, and a library room listing the books a temple kept. Coptic-era damage to the faces of gods in the hypostyle hall is visible throughout.

History

The present temple of Horus was begun on 23 August 237 BC under Ptolemy III Euergetes and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII Auletes, on the site of an earlier, smaller temple of Horus that faced east-west rather than north-south; a ruined pylon to the east carries inscriptions of Ramesses I, Seti I and Ramesses II, and a naos of Nectanebo II survives in the inner sanctuary. Over the centuries the temple was buried up to 12 metres deep in sand and Nile silt, with houses built over it, and only the tops of the pylons showed when a French expedition identified it in 1798. In 1860 Auguste Mariette began clearing it, and it is now one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, its walls recording the sacred drama of Horus and Seth; a visitor centre opened in 2005 and lighting for night visits in 2006 (Wikipedia, Temple of Edfu).

What's there

• A complete temple with its roof on - pylons, halls and sanctuary intact.
• The granite shrine - the sanctuary block still standing in place.
• The Horus and Seth drama - the mythological conflict carved as a sequence.
• Black granite falcons - the guardian figures at the gate.

When to go

October to April. Early morning or late afternoon; cruise boats arrive in convoys mid-morning and fill the courts. Two hours. Evening sound and light shows run on some nights.

Practical notes

It is crowded whenever the cruise fleet is in. The approach from the boat landing is by calèche with persistent drivers and tired horses, which many visitors find uncomfortable. Inner rooms are dark. The town outside offers nothing.

Nearby

El Kab is north on the east bank; Gebel el-Silsila and Kom Ombo lie south.

Key facts