Kom Ombo Temple

Above is the entrance to the next temple we visited at Kom Ombo. It is unusual because it is a double temple with the left side dedicated to the god Haroesis, the "Good Doctor" and the right side to Sobek-Re, the crocodile god.   The ancient Egyptians believed that by honoring the fearsome crocodile as a god, they would be safe from attacks.  

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/egypt/kom-ombo

Looking at the front of the temple from the side.

The columns at the beginning of the temple proper.  Below is a close up of one of the beautiful columns.

Below are a variety of pictures from the temple at Kom Ombo.  Again this is just a small selection of the many pictures that I took here.  There were some incredibly beautiful carvings/reliefs, too many to share here, at this time.

Note the very different styled skirt or kilt that this figure is wearing.  If I remember correctly, this is the type of skirt/clothing that officials from the Middle Kingdom would wear.

The only hieroglyphics that I saw that contained a cat.  

This is the god Sobek-Re.  He played such an important role in this temple that a small pool was created where sacred crocodiles were raised.  There have also been many mummified crocodiles found, even as late as the 1970's.  All of this was to ensure protection from the actual crocodiles of the Nile.    

The carved scene above shows medical instruments that were used in Ancient Egypt times.  It is said that modern day nurses and doctors can look at these instruments and recognize their modern counterpart.  I just find that totally amazing.

Notice that this fellow is wearing an animal skin skirt. It is probably a leopard skin and this type of clothing was only worn by priests and the pharaohs.

This is what the walkway from the cruise ships to the temple looked like.  You feel you are running a gauntlet of merchants - and they can be very persistent about you buying something.  I had to get much thicker skinned when walking through these areas.  It seemed that every temple we visited had something like this that you had to walk through as you left the historic site. It was the one thing that I truly did not enjoy about visiting the temples. 

One last look at Kom Ombo temple as we continue our journey to Aswan.

More Cruising Down the Nile Pictures

Taking the sugar cane crop to market.

Livestock and their pen/barn.  

One of several cruise ships we passes on our journey.

A home along the Nile.  Please note the ubiquitous satellite dish.

Young boys fishing on a warm spring day.

Time to wash/cool the horse off.

One of several small villages that we passed by.

A passenger train headed to Aswan.

Can anyone say leisurely sail down the Nile?

Temple of Horus at Edfu

This was the first temple that we visited after we left Luxor.  It is located in Edfu.  The temple which was dedicated to Horus, the falcon headed god, was built during the reigns of six Ptolemies.  This is not only the best preserved ancient temple in Egypt, but the second largest after Karnak.

Read more: http://www.touregypt.net/edfut.htm#ixzz2ViQcjtfv

Our mode of transportation from the cruise ship to the temple. Below is our driver.

 

Our first glimpse of The Temple of Horus.

This is the entire front of the temple.  As you can see it is huge as in incredibly high.

This is the carving on the left side of the wall from above.  If memory serves me correctly, this scene portrays the Pharaoh showing his superiority over the countries/captives that have been overtaken.  The picture below show more clearly the captives bending before the Pharaoh.

This is what the inner courtyard looks like after passing through the entrance in the wall above.

This is the god Horus as a falcon.  For some reason, I find this statue really piques my interest.  If you look at the picture of the courtyard above, you can see this statue on the left of the entrance way.

This is the top of one of the columns, which I now know is called the "capital".  Notice the faint colours on the capital and on the wall behind.  I can't keep paint on my house from fading and peeling and yet these colours are still there, thousands of years later.  And they say we are advanced!

This is a replica of a solar boat in the room that was dedicated to Horus, the god of the temple.  It is probable that a golden gilded wooden statue of Horus about 60 cm tall would have resided in this room.  This statue would have been cared for by the priests in a human manner, being washed, dressed, anointed, fed and entertained.  This room would have been open to only the High Priests and the Pharaoh.
Read more: http://www.touregypt.net/edfut.htm#ixzz2ViQcjtfv

Life Along the Nile

As we left Luxor on the cruise, I was able to take lots of pictures of the daily life along the Nile.  I saw people fishing, using a boat as a means of transportation and as a floating market, and using the Nile as a way to do the laundry and/or take a "bath".  The last I am definitely not too sure about.

Fishing along the Nile

Above and below, donkeys having a little break from work.  

 

This boat attached itself to the cruise ship and was selling the passengers everything from table clothes to beach towels and everything in between.

Can anyone say bath time???????

 

Such a juxtaposition of the lush trees along the Nile, the incomplete building and the desolate hills behind it all.

Same  idea as the previous picture, but with a minaret standing guard.

And what would any body of water be without some birds?

  

This point was ferrying what appears to be a family from one pier to the town down stream.

This fellow was selling the usual touristy things.  What I was totally amazed about was his ability to throw packages up to the top of the cruise ship and how his body could maintain the boats position.  It truly was an amazing feat!

Looking back at the lock that we have just passed through.  I must admit that I had not given any thought to actually passing through any locks while cruising down the Nile.