The Temple of Horus - Edfu

Edfu lies midway between Luxor and Aswan. Edfu was a prosperous town in Upper Egypt and an important centre for the worship of the falcon god, Horus, who was worshipped as a sun god,and later was identified with Horus, son of Isis and Osiris.
The Horus Temple in Edfu is the second largest and one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. Construction began under Ptolemy III in the 3rd century BCE. Built in three stages the temple was finally completed in the 1st century BCE.
The Temple is constructed of sand­stone, originally painted in bright, clear, colors. Like the cult temples of earlier times, it is rectangular in shape. The pylon gateway leads to a courtyard, open to the sky and surrounded on its south, east and west by colonnades. The grand pylons are some 62.6 m across and 30.5 m high. A passage surrounds the sanctuary, which allows access to thirteen small chapels. All the inner rooms are completely dark and without windows.

Many of the reliefs and inscriptions carved on the walls of the Temple of Horus depict the king, often accompanied by his queen, presenting offerings to various deities. The inscriptions are more detailed and elaborate than at any other period. The priests of the time realized that it was no longer possible to pass on the knowledge by word of mouth, even papyrus they had found to be by no means indestructible. The scripts used an ancient Egyptian language that was not in use anymore as a spoken language.

Horus:
Horus (he, who is above), the falcon-headed god, was among the most important gods of Egypt , and the Pharaoh his earthly embodiment. However, at least fifteen distinct forms of Horus are common throughout and according to different parts in Egypt . The most famous myth is Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris. Horus was conceived magically by Isis after his father Osiris was murdered by his brother Seth. Isis protected Horus during his childhood from his uncle Seth.
In one of the many battles between Seth and Horus, Horus lost one of his eyes. The eye was restored and became a symbol of protection in ancient Egypt .

The Horus Temple in Edfu is one of the many highlights during a Nile Cruise

Check out our Nile Cruises

Excel Travel's Homepage

published February 29, 2008
Source: Angela