The Temple of Edfu is considered one of the well-preserved temples in Egypt. It is known as the Temple of Horus, which is the god deity of the temple.
The temple is located on the west bank of the Nile River on the road between Luxor and Aswan.
History of the temple:
The temple was built in the Greco-Roman period, as it was built by King Ptolemy IV, and the subsequent Ptolemaic kings made additions to this temple. Also, the Roman Emperor Octavius Augustus made some additions to it.
The city of Edfu was named during the Greco-Roman period with Apollopolis Magna, where the Greeks linked the ancient Egyptian god Horus with the Greek god Apollo.
The temple was a center for worshipping a triad of gods (Horus Behdet, his wife Hathor, and their son Hor Sama Tawy).
This temple is considered unique in Egypt because it is located on the western bank of the Nile, although it is a temple for a god what means it should have been located on the eastern bank.
It is said that this location was chosen because the god Horus fought the god Set in this place.
The design of the temple:
The temple consists of the traditional elements of the temples in ancient Egypt with some additions of the Greek period, such as the Mammisi.
The temple begins with the pylon and is considered one of the best pylons remaining in Egypt. The pylon was decorated with scenes of the king as he beats his enemies in front of the god Horus.
Then the open courtyard. It was open to the public so the people could make offerings to the god Horus.
Then the Hypostyle Hall. It contains 12 columns. On its side, there are statues of the god Horus. In this hall, there are two rooms, one of them is a library, and the other is a store for the temple. This hall was decorated with scenes of building the temple
At the end of the temple, there is the Holy of Holies. It has a base for the sacred boat of the god Horus.
The most important scenes of the temple:
A scene depicts the divine marriage of Hathor and Horus Behdet. It was considered a feast in the ancient Egyptian religion, happening twice a year, once in Edfu Temple and once in Dendera Temple.
A scene depicts the legend of the conflict between Horus and Set, which ended with the victory of Horus and crowned on the throne of ancient Egypt.
A scene of the divine birth of the child Horus, which is recorded on the walls of the Mammisi.
you can visit Edfu temple with Kom Ombo and Edfu Temples from Aswan
