On the third day of our Nile River Cruise we visited the Horus Temple at Edfu early in the day and the Temple at Kom Ombo in evening. The sunset made Kom Ombo a breathtaking sight to behold, turning it into one of the highlights of the trip.
The view of the Nile from Kom Ombo temple.
The site is actually host to two temples, one dedicated to Harwer and Sobek, and a smaller one dedicated to Hathor. The site dates to the Ptolemaic period making it a contemporary of the Edfu temple, about 2100 years old.
In the previous post I mentioned that “temple fatigue” could start to set in after seeing so many impressive facilities, but we felt this wasn’t the case at all with Kom Ombo. Perhaps it was the time of day we visited, in the evening as the sun was setting. This made it much cooler, of course, and also cast a nice light on the ruins for our pictures. The location of the temple is incredible as well, being just off the bank of the river. In fact, you’re able to step off your boat and walk right up to the site.
Mummified crocodile egg.
Crocodile mummy.
In addition to the ruins there is also a museum you can visit that gives more insight into the history and ritual use of the temple. Sobek, the crocodile god, was worshipped here, and many mummified crocodiles have been found, which are on display in the museum.
All in all, Kom Ombo was one of the most leisurely stops on our cruise. The easy access from our ship combined with the cooler weather made it very memorable for us.
