Kom Ombo Temple, Located on the banks of the Nile in the city of Kom Ombo, this temple is quite unusual in appearance and decoration for Egyptian architecture. This may be because it was built during the Ptolemaic period, that is, after the arrival of Alexander the Great and when Egyptian culture merged with the Egyptian one.
The Temple of Kom Ombo was built between 180 BC and 47 BC, although some extensions were made later during the Roman invasion. Its particularity lies in its double design, with entrances, rooms, courtyards and sanctuaries duplicated to provide shelter for the two gods to whom it was built: Sobek, a god with a crocodile head and human body who for the Ptolemaic Egyptians was the god of fertility and the creator of the world; and Horus, the god of royalty in the sky, of hunting and of war, son of Isis and Osiris, represented with a falcon head.
Kom Ombo Temple is located in the north of Aswan city and its name goes back to an ancient Egyptian site derived from an ancient Egyptian word meaning gold, not because there was gold in the place, but it was a very important place and a meeting place for trade routes for caravans heading to Nubia.
All the details of the temple have a similar shape on the other side and it has two independent entrances and inside it there are common spaces. There is no doubt that the temple was not only dedicated to worship, but in addition to worship and prayer it was a place for teaching the art of mummification and teaching important and different medical methods. There is evidence of the truth of this statement by the presence of some paintings on the walls of the temple indicating that it is not a Kom Ombo Temple for prayer only, although some of the walls of the temple were destroyed by flood waters.
The most important and wonderful antiquities inside the temple, such as the triad of Horus and Hathor, In fact to the crocodile mummies, the Crocodile Museum was opened to unify the antiquities in Kom Ombo.
A statue dating back to the Roman period was discovered in Egypt.
One of the best visits to the Kom Ombo Temple is via Nile cruises, as you take a trip through the Nile waters on a ship coming from Luxor. Indeed, the temple will be one of the most important stops, but if you are not on a cruise, you must visit the temple via the train station and take a car that will take you to the temple.
However, some additions were made later during the Roman period. The present temple was begun by Ptolemy VI Philometor (180-145 BC) early in his reign and was modified by other Ptolemies, especially Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator (51-47 BC).
Kom Ombo Temple was built in the New Kingdom to worship two gods, the crocodile god Sobek (god of fertility and creator of the world) and the falcon god Horus (lord of the two lands), but the site gained importance during the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
The texts and inscriptions found in the temple indicate the liturgical worship that was worshipped during that time period.
This temple is characterized by its double structure, which means that the entrances, courtyards, halls, chapels and sanctuaries of the two gods: Sobek and Haroeris are repeated. The southern part of the temple is dedicated to Sobek, the god of birth and creator of the world, who appears alongside Hathor and Gonsu.
the northern half of the temple is dedicated to Haroeris, the “old mountain”, who is symbolized with Tasint Nofret, the “good sister” (a special form of Hathor’s name).
Is the place worth visiting? This is one of the most important questions if you are thinking of taking a trip to Egypt, especially in Luxor and Aswan. Here we definitely recommend visiting the place if you are a fan of civilization and history and everything you want to know about ancient Egyptian civilization. You will live the best and most wonderful experiences in your life because you will enjoy a cruise along the Nile River from Aswan to Luxor. It is indeed one of the best trips and visits.
Is there any importance to the temple? Indeed, and certainly, the Kom Ombo Temple is important in that it is a testament to the importance that the ancient Egyptian priests attached to the natural cycles and Nile crocodiles. The temple is visited to enjoy seeing the mummified crocodiles and the engravings on the walls that symbolized that it was a place of work and worship, as the symbols indicate instructions on mummification and important surgical procedures. You will also see the coffins and enjoy the view of the temple.
It is certain from the inscriptions on the walls of the temple that it was distinguished by its therapeutic power and a large number of people resorted to the temple for healing in their belief in its therapeutic power and what symbolized this on the walls of the temple of medical tools and what indicates this. There were many crocodiles in the temple area around the temple where crocodile mummies were found in the temple museum and the temple is also distinguished by inscriptions on the columns in honor of many gods.
The city of Aswan has a different charm that makes it one of the most important tourist cities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, in addition to the restaurants that distinguish the country so that you can enjoy the most delicious dishes and various foods.
