General information
Program details
The site of Edfu contains the most complete and best-preserved temple in Egypt, the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus. This was constructed between 237 BC and 57 BC on top of the remains of earlier temples.
The reliefs that cover the walls, columns, and doorways of the temple constitute an extremely important source of information about ancient Egyptian religious and political thought. Among the most interesting of these reliefs tell the story of Horus exacting his revenge on Seth for the murder of his father, Osiris, an event that was re-enacted annually in the temple. Other reliefs recount the stages of the temple’s construction, and provide dates for the completion of different building elements.
Objects of note in the temple include a colossal statue of Horus as a falcon, which stands at the entrance to the main temple building, and a granite shrine (naos) of Nectanebo II (c. 360-342 BCE); this is the oldest object in the temple and probably belonged to an earlier building. It now stands in the sanctuary. The temple complex also includes the remains of a birth house (mammisi) and the base of a pylon belonging to a temple of Ramesses III.
The Horus temple was once part of a larger settlement area that extended westwards beyond the complex and flourished from the Old Kingdom to the Greco-Roman Period. Several cemeteries were also associated with the settlement.
Meeting/pick-up point: Pick up at the hotel.
Duration: Six hours.
Start/opening time: At 7am.
End/closing time: At 4pm.
Others: Please confirm the start time with the supplier.
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