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!
