Temple Fatigue Sets In | Kom Ombo, Edfu and Karnak

Temple Fatigue is a very real disorder.

I confess I was coming down with a bad case by the time my On the Go tour stopped at Kom Ombo, Edfu and Karnak after a picture perfect felucca trip on the Nile. Symptoms of Egyptian Temple Fatigue include having no recollection of having visited the sites, in what order or on what day. Thank goodness for photos!

Fast facts about Karnak Temple

  • Karnak Temple is one of the most visited sites in Egypt, after the Great Pyramids of Giza.
  • Thirty different pharaohs contributed to construction of the Karnak complex, including that crazy Queen Hatshepsut.
  • Karnak’s Hypostyle Hall has 134 massive columns and covers 50,000 sq. ft.

Fast facts about Kom Ombo Temple

  • Kom Ombo features what is accepted as the first representation of surgical instruments including scalpels, forceps, prescriptions, birthing chairs and medicine bottles dating back to Roman Egypt.
  • At Kom Ombo, a Nilometer was once used to measure water levels.
  • What makes the Temple of Kom Ombo unique is its mirrored dedication to two different gods. Sanctuaries, halls, courts and rooms were all duplicated for Sobek and Haroeris

Columns at Kom Ombo

Fast facts about Edfu Temple

  • Edfu Temple was constructed in Ptolemaic times, between 237 BC and 57 BC.
  • Of all the temples in Egypt, the Temple of Horus at Edfu is the most completely preserved.
  • Over time, the temple was covered in sediment deposited by Nile floods and by 1798, only the top of the massive temple pylons were visible. 

Two cool guys at Edfu

Horus 

Can’t get enough of classical Egyptian sites? Check out my top 5 favorite tombs, pyramids and temples.

Now that the temples are behind us it’s time for an 18 hour overnight bus ride to Dahab… stay tuned!

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13 thoughts on “Temple Fatigue Sets In | Kom Ombo, Edfu and Karnak”

  1. Temple fatigue, I know how you feel I had it a few times here in Thailand. When you go on these mini 3 and 4 day tours here it’s a temple, another temple, a temple on a hill followed by lunch and then more temples.
    You got some nice temple pictures though Angie.

  2. I got templed out in Thailand… I remember one day my driver asked me 118 times to go to his family’s butterfly farm, which I politely declined. After the 50th temple, I was like, take me to the butterfly farm! Or anywhere…

  3. I’ve never been to a country with enough temples to get “templed out,” but you aren’t the first one to discuss this ailment. I can imagine that, awesome as they are, these all started to blur together at some point.

  4. Interesting facts about the temples. The temples are quite amazing, but ya i can see how you can be “templed out”. I feel that way sometimes in europe when i’ve after seeing so many churches… Its not that they aren’t impressive but they just sort of blur together and you feel you are touring out of obligation more than enjoyment.

  5. Oh, I totally know the feeling! And it’s not just temples – I’ve been churched out, museumed out, art-galleried out, even meal-ed out (when you eat the same kinds of foods over and over!). Sometimes it helps to take a break!

    1. YES! I’ve had all those fatigue disorders myself! It’s a shame because I really do care about each site, but after several days my brain is just knocked out. I thought I’d get better at it with more travel but it’s only gotten worse!

  6. From an outside perspective it may seem flippant to get temple fatigue, but for those of us that travel regularly it happens- no matter how interesting the site or activity. We’ve had to turn down ziplinning, museums, & historical sites because we were simply too overloaded to absorb any more information.

  7. Gosh in Thailand temple fatigue was awful! They’re so beautiful and truly amazing but I can only take so much! Thanks for the fun facts though. 🙂

  8. Oh, I totally know the feeling! And it’s not just temples – I’ve been churched out, museumed out, art-galleried out, even meal-ed out (when you eat the same kinds of foods over and over!). Sometimes it helps to take a break!

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