THE TEMPLE OF EDFU

HISTORY 

The Temple of Edfu is located in ancient Upper Egypt between the modern cities of Luxor and Aswan on the west bank of the Nile River. The temple is the second largest in Egypt and took approximately 180 years to build with construction starting in 237 BC by Ptolemy III. The location was selected on the believe that it was the site of the infamous battle between the gods Horus and Seth - Horus exacting revenge on Seth for having murdered his father Osiris. The Temple of Edfu melds traditional Egyptian elements with Greek influences and was built to honor the triad of Horus, Hathor, and their son, Hor Sama Tawy. 

FAST FACTS 

The temple’s main structure is comprised of a main entrance, a courtyard, and a chapel. 

To the west of the temple is a mamisi (birth house) where the annual Festival of Coronation was held to honor the divine births of the god Horus and the Pharaoh. 

The pylons at the entrance of the temple stand at 118 feet high and are decorated with battle scenes of the Pharaoh Ptolemy VIII. These pylons are amongst the tallest in Egypt. 

Beyond the pylons is an open courtyard adorned with columns topped with floral themed capitals. In the courtyard, one finds two black granite statues of Horus each with a height of 10 feet.

After the courtyard, there are two hypostyle halls with the second called the Festival Hall. This hall led to another referred to as the Hall of Offerings which in turn led to the Sanctuary, the holiest section of the temple. The sanctuary was surrounded by various chambers and chapels. 

The shrine that carried the statue of the god. 

The French archeologist Auguste Mariette discovered the Temple of Edfu in the 1860s.

VISITING THE TEMPLE AT EDFU 

I have visited the Temple of Edfu twice and it is one of my favorite temples because I simply love the walls filled with thousands of hieroglyphs that share stories of Ancient Egypt, the gods, and so much more. Unfortunately, both visits have been short with the most recent trip providing almost no free time after the guided tour. This is definitely one temple I could easily spend two to three hours just walking around enjoying the beautiful architecture and art. I highly recommend that if possible to arrange a visit without a tour group so you can spend adequate time at the site. 

The Temple of Edfu is a large temple and the crowds are always massive since the site is a standard item on most Nile Cruise itineraries. Independent travelers can visit the temple later in the afternoon to escape the heavier crowds since it seems that most Nile Cruise tour groups arrive in the morning. On my first trip to Egypt, my tour group traveled to the temple via a charter bus but on this recent journey, since we were just a group of 8, we took a horse and carriage. The horse and carriage ride was absolutely wonderful since we rode through the town of Edfu passing by markets and homes and seeing the Egyptians in action headed to work and school or selling food items and home goods. It was also an enjoyable ride since it was a cool, sunny morning and the gentleman leading our horse was sweet and did not chase us at the end for extra tip. Another aspect that made the carriage ride enjoyable was that our tour guide arranged everything so we did not need to haggle for a good rate. 

The temple itself offers some wonderful photo opportunities. The main pylons are almost complete and serve as a great background for a picture. Inside the courtyard one finds the granite statues of Horus which generally have a line of folks waiting for a photo opportunity. One thing I enjoyed was taking hundreds of pictures and videos of the walls engraved with hieroglyphs and images of the pharaohs with the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt. 

NOTE The ground at the Temple of Edfu is relatively level so those with mobility issues should not have a problem walking around the site. Portions of the temple interior are poorly lit so one needs to be cautious when walking. 

NOTE I noticed on this recent trip that the vendors at the temple were very assertive. They are stationed at the entrance/exit. If you are with a tour guide, he will help you navigate through the market.

NOTE My tour mate Alicia is an equestrian and owns several horses. She believes that the horses were in good condition, no sores or bad feet. Some horses were skinny but otherwise appeared to be healthy.