Edfu Photo Gallery

Located half way between Luxor and Aswan, Edfu was a sacred site as there was a myth that the falcon Horus fought his uncle Seth. Buried for some 2000 years, the Temple of Horus was excavated in the mid-19th century and is the largest Ptolemaic temple in the country. As it is quite a distance from the docking point, horse carriages carry upwards of 4-5 people to make the journey. However, the horses didn't seem to be in good condition.

The massive first pylon depicts Ptolemy XII defeating his enemies. 2 granite statues of Horus guard the entrance.

Past the first pylon, a large colonnaded court awaits. Signs of human intervention are clearly visible on the ceiling, where residents probably sought shelter here and started fires that left black marks.

There were plenty of other tourists that went to shore that morning. Their main focus was the sanctuary of Horus, which contains a model of his sacred barque.

After the temple, I headed back to the cruise ship to continue up the Nile towards Kom Ombo.

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