Unforgettable KOM OMBO TEMPLE 3 Facts about this Temple.

When was Kom Ombo built?

Kom Ombo, one of Ancient Egypt’s most unusual temples, was primarily built during the Ptolemaic Dynasty, which lasted from 180 to 47 BCE, though there is evidence that it stood on the foundation of an earlier temple.

The temple is notable for its dedication to two distinct deities: the local crocodile-headed god Sobek and the first “god of the Kingdom,” the falcon-headed god Horus the Elder (also known as Haroeris). This double dedication was deliberate. The twin temple is not only architecturally duplicated, with two sets of courts, hypostyle halls, and sanctuaries, but it also represents the two different deities’ local and universalist themes.

The Graeco-Roman Temple of Kom Ombo

The temple at Kom Ombo, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Aswan, was built during the Graeco-Roman period (332 BC AD 395). There was a previous structure from the 18th dynasty, but little remains.

The temple is unique in that it is actually a double temple dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon-headed god. The layout combines two temples into one, each with its own gateways and chapels.

Sobek is associated with Seth, the evil god who opposes Horus. In the Horus myth, Seth’s allies escaped by changing into crocodiles.

Sobek and Horus

Sobek and Horus had their main sanctuary in Kom Ombo, which was once home to a large number of crocodiles. Until recently, the Egyptian Nile was infested with these ferocious animals, which would lie on the riverbank and devour animals and humans alike. So it’s no surprise that the locals fled in fear.

They assumed that as a totem animal and object of worship, it would not attack them. Captive crocodiles were kept within the temple, and many mummified crocodiles were discovered in cemeteries, some of which can still be seen in the temple sanctuary today.

You can initially enjoy a nice walking tour around the Kom Ombo Aswan temple to take some souvenir photos of the building from the outside and discover it. You can also wander between and around the different pillars of the temple, and take many memorial photos of its exotic decorations and picturesque drawings.  Then take your tour inside the building, which is distinguished by its duality of design and unique Beauty

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