Kom Ombo
The Temple of Kom Ombo is a Ptolemaic dynasty era structure. However, though it was built during the Ptolemaic era, there were some updates made to it during the Roman period. The perfectly symmetrical temple (alongside its primary axis) is located in Kom Ombo, an Egyptian town located north of Aswan. The temple is unique because of its duality. It was built in honor of two gods. For this reason, it has two sets of most everything, including halls, rooms, courts and sanctuaries.
As mentioned above, the Temple of Kom Ombo was dedicated to two gods. One of those gods was Sobek. He was a crocodile god that was also credited with being the god of fertility and the creator of the world (along with two other gods). The other god the temple was dedicated to, was Haroeris, the falcon god. Also known as Horus the Elder, the northern portion of the temple was dedicated to him. Both gods’ families are included in some capacity, in the temple as well.
Ptolemy VI Philometor began the construction on the temple. Additions were made to it by a number of other Ptolemys. The most noteworthy of the Ptolemys was Ptolemy XIII. He had the outer and inner hypostyle halls constructed. One of the most popular sites on the temple is the rear wall. There is a carving on this wall of what some people believe to be, surgical instruments.
Unfortunately, a large portion of the temple was destroyed by a myriad of sources, amongst them a number of earthquakes, the Nile River and those who chose to use stone from the building for their particular purposes. Jacques de Morgan attempted to restore much of the temple, mostly those buildings located in the southern portion of the plateau during the latter portion of the 19th century.
Though many of the Temple’s original artifacts were defaced, there were some that survived and which are still showcased there. Some of the artifacts that can be viewed by visitors are from the Temple, others were found nearby, most notably, a few mummified crocodiles.
The Temple of Kom Ombo is a terrific choice for individuals looking to explore the most noteworthy, ancient sites in Egypt. Full of once-in-a-lifetime artifacts and ancient ruins, it is a fantastic place to visit. The Temple of Kom Ombo is an especially good choice for those interested in the Ptolemaic dynasty era, particularly the history of the period and the architecture.
