The Temple of Kom Ombo is considered one of the most beautiful Egyptian temples. It dates back to the Greco-Roman period. It is located on the eastern bank of the Nile River in the city of Aswan. It is characterized by it is located on the top of a cliff next to the Nile River.
Meaning of the word Kom Ombo:
The word Kom Ombo means the hill of gold, as the word Kom in the Arabic language means a hill, and the word Ombo means gold.
The History of Kom Ombo Temple:
The history of the Kom Ombo temple dates back to the 18th dynasty, the period of Queen Hatshepsut. The temple in its current form is built in the Ptolemaic period, and its construction was completed in the Roman period.
This temple is unique in the ancient Egyptian civilization, as it is dedicated to two triads of gods. The 1st triad is the god Sobek (the crocodile), his wife Hathor, and their son Khonsu. The 2nd triad is the god Horus (the falcon), his wife Ta Senet Nofret, and their son Pa neb Tawy.
Temple design:
The temple consists of the traditional elements of the ancient Egyptian temples, but some elements of the Greco-Roman period were added, such as the Mamisi (House of the Divine Birth). The temple is built of sandstone that was brought from Jabal al-Silsila.
The temple begins with stairs that lead to the gate of the temple. An inscription on the gate depicts the Ptolemaic kings beating the enemies and making offerings to the gods.
Then the open courtyard, which is surrounded by pillars on three sides. Then the Hypostyle hall that decorated with scenes of making offerings to the gods.
The temple has some corridors with scenes of the Ptolemaic kings and Roman emperors. Then we reach the Holy of Holies. The temple has a sanctuary of the god Sobek and a sanctuary of the god Horus.
Behind the Holy of Holies, there is the most important scene of the temple, which is a unique scene in the Egyptian temples. It is a scene of surgical tools, which indicates the progress of the ancient Egyptians in the field of medicine. These tools are scalpels, suction caps, bone saws, and dental tools.
To the northeast of the temple, there is a chapel for the goddess Hathor and 3 mummies of crocodiles representing the god Sobek.
The Romans built a nilometer in the temple to measure the water level of the Nile River.
There is a crocodile museum next to the temple. It displays many crocodile mummies that represent the god Sobek.
you can visit Kom Ombo temple with Kom Ombo and Edfu Temples from Aswan
