Kom Ombo Temple

As you reached the promontory at the bend of river Nile, you will be approaching the Temple of Kom Ombo. It is here where ancient Egyptians found the sacred crocodiles basking in the sun on the banks of the river.

The Temple of Komombo is one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt and is dedicated to two gods - Haroeris (Horus the Elder) and Sobek, the local crocodile God. The concept of having two Gods in one temple is also unique to Egypt in itself.

Situated about 168 kilometer (104 mi) from South of Luxor and about 47 kilometers (29 mi) north of Aswan, Komombo Temple is placed in a sleepy agricultural backwater area. In the ancient Egypt, this was a prime position and while strolling through the temples colonnades, you will be bewildered to find out about the glorious history of the nation (See also Aswan History).

The Royal Entrance - Pylon  

Pylon initially had two gateways, however, the left-hand gateway is half disappeared and you can only find the lower section of the central pillar. The right wing, fortunately, is still surviving. As you get into the temple through this royal entry way, on the right hand side front wall, there is a text of 52 lines in hieroglyphics and also the Gods - Hathor, Khons and Sobek.

The Courtyard of Haroeris and Sobek - Forecourt

This has a similar forecourt structure as that of the temple of Horus. It originally had colonnades on the three sides of the structure, however, you can only find the lower halves of the 16 columns that are there today. The reliefs on the walls depict Tiberius making certain offerings. There is an altar base square in shape which is in the centre of the courtyard and on the far side you can get the stone screens. While you were here, make sure to see the reliefs on the right hand stone screen which depicts the Falcon head Horus and on the left hand side of the screen, there is the scene showing Sobek swapped for Haroeris.

Delicate Reliefs

Hypostyle Hall

The Vestibule

As you get inside the Chamber of the inner Temple, you will see the vestibule which has 10 columns and are beautifully decorated with rich Palm capitals. Here also, the walls and the columns are beautifully embellished with the relief. Do not miss the ceiling which also has paintings and you can understand they are flying vultures. The mural reliefs are really nicely preserved in the vestibule. On the left of the north door way, you can see Neos Dionyos in a scene where Haroeris is being blessed by Isis.

Hypostyle Hall

From the Vestibule, you will be led through two doorways. There are 10 papyrus columns that support the roof. There are reliefs on the column shafts where Euergetes is seen making offerings to various gods. On the walls, you can find Euergetes in conversation with the gods. Going through the doors from the vestibule, you will see the sacred crocodile of Ombos.

Reliefs of Euergetes II's elder brother, Philometor is seen in reliefs into the rear part along with falcon-headed Haroeris. The left-hand (northern) wall holds a relief of Ptolemaic era pharaoh with the curved sword of victory and the hieroglyph for eternal life. It also has his wife Cleopatra.

Antechambers

As you go away from the hypostyle hall, there are 3 antechambers that will take you into the inner Temple area. Like the rest of the walls, here also you will find reliefs that cover the entire wall. You can easily notice that each of the antechamber gets a bit higher than the one before it. On the left hand side of these Antechambers, there are small rooms which are believed to be the store rooms for the temple. The third antechamber has two doors on the rear wall. You can see the relief of Philometor along with Cleopatra standing with the Falcon headed moon God, Khons.  

Outer Passageway

Sanctuary

It has the domain of Haroeris and Sobek. As you enter through the doors in the rear wall of the last Antechamber, you get into the sanctuary of the temple. As it worshipped two Gods, you will find that Sobek was on the right and Haroeris was on the left. There is a black granite base which served as a pious platform and had the image of the god placed on it.

Inner Passageway

Coming back from the vestibule, you can get inside the inner passageway of the temple.There are seven small chambers at the end of this passageway and contains unfinished relief. After careful exploration, it has been found that these reliefs show various stages of the artists’ work and there are some inscription which has never reached completion.

Outer Passageway

On the eastern walls around the temple, you will find reliefs of Roman Emperor Trajan with offerings to Egyptian gods. On the Northeast corner of the outer passage, there is a relief that shows him kneeling before to gods and also has a set of medical instruments drawn in the scene.

How to reach Temple of Kom Ombo from Aswan

It takes 1 h 3 min (46.5 km) via 02/Cairo - Aswan Eastern Desert Rd/Edfo - Aswan/NagaaHamadi - Aswan/Route 75M.
•  Via train, it costs around 25 - 35 Egyptian Pound (See also Currency in Egypt) and takes around one hour.
•  Taxi fare is around 65-75 Egyptian Pound and it takes around 40 mins.

See also Aswan Transportation

Time

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Entry Fee

140 Egyptian pound per person

You May Like:

6 Most Popular Things to Do in Aswan

See more temples in Aswan:

Temple of Kalabsha     Philae Temple Complex     Monastery of St. Simeon     Abu Simbel Temple