Kom Ombo - Edfu - Esna

 

The entire stretch of the Nile between Luxor and Aswan is rich with archaeological sites and ancient tombs and temples. The best way to see the highlights of the area is to take a Nile cruise, visiting the key temples in between relaxing periods of sailing along this ancient river. This entire stretch of the Nile is also rich with more than 400 species of birds - a birdwatcher's paradise.

 

 

Kom Ombo has been continuously occupied since prehistoric times. Its main attraction is the elegant temple, unusually dedicated to two gods - the crocodile-god Sobek, and the falcon-headed sky god, Haroeris. Everything is duplicated along the main axis: there are two entrances, two courts, two colonnades, two hypostyle halls and two sanctuaries - in the temple's heyday, there were probably even two sets of priests. The temple stands at a bend in the Nile where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank.

 

Edfu was the Greek city of Apollinopolis and during Pharaonic times was the region's capital. The main attraction for visitors to Edfu is the amazing Temple of Horus - the best-preserved Pharaonic temple in Egypt, thanks to the fact that it lay most of this millennium covered by sand, only being rediscovered by the French explorer Mariette in 1860. The temple was built during the Greek era, over the course of the reign of six Ptolemies. Standing in its outer courtyard, one can vividly imagine the hordes that used to gather here to worship and celebrate.

 

The small town of Esna is home to the Greco-Roman Temple dedicated to Khnum, the ram-headed god who was worshipped throughout this area. The beautifully preserved temple was built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius; it was excavated from the silt that had accumulated through centuries of annual Nile floods and is about nine meters below present-day street level. The Temple of Esna is reached by a short walk through the bustling local market a perfect place for visitors to try out their bargaining skills buying traditional Egyptian robes or "galabeyyas".