City of Edfu:
Edfu is located 60Km to the north of Aswan. It was the 2nd Nome of
Upper Egypt and the centre of the cult of a triad of Gods, which
consisted of Horus of Behdet, Hathor, and their son, Hor-Sama-Tawy. In
the old Greek documents, Edfu was known as "Apollopolis Magna" because
the Greeks identified Horus with their God
Apollo.
Edfu was a flourishing city in Ancient Times. Today, the most
important monument in the city of Edfu is the Temple of Horus, which is
considered to be one of the most beautiful and preserved Temples in
Egypt. The origins of the Temple probably date back to the Second
Intermediate Period, but the actual Temple only dates back to Ptolemaic
times. The work of construction began during the reign of Ptolemy III
(about 237 BC) and was finished during the reign of Ptolemy IV. Some
other additions were made by other Ptolemaic Kings, and Roman Emperor
Augustus. The construction of this Temple and its additions,
inscriptions, and relief's took about 180 years!
Edfu Temple consists of traditional
elements of Egyptian Temples of the New Kingdom, together with a few
Greek elements, such as the Mamisi, which is situated to the west of the
main entrance of the Temple (Mamisi means "house of the divine birth").
It consists of an entrance, a court and chapel. The walls of the mamisi
are decorated with scenes showing the story of the divine birth of
Horus the child, in the presence of the Goddess Hathor, the God Khenoum
and other deities who were concerned with pregnancy and birth.
The Temple has a Pylon that is considered the highest among surviving
Temples in Egypt today. It is 37m high and is decorated with battle
scenes, representing King Ptolemy VIII smiting his enemies before the
God Horus.
Next there is an open courtyard that contains columns with floral
capitals on three sides. This open court was open to the public and was
known as the court of the offerings, being the place where people could
give their offering to the statue of the God.
The Hypostyle Hall is rectangular and 12 columns
support its roof. On both sides of the entrance to this hall stands a
statue of Horus of Behdet, in the shape of a falcon. This hall is also
known as the outer Hypostyle Hall.
An entrance beyond the 1st Hypostyle Hall accesses the Inner
Hypostyle Hall. 12 columns to the right support its roof, and on the
left there are 2 rooms; one was used as a library that once contained a
large number of manuscripts. The other was used as a storeroom or
magazine for the utensils and the tools of the Temple.
There are 2 consecutive vestibules; the outer one called the "hall of
the offerings", where the walls are decorated with various scenes
representing the different deities and offering scenes of the different
Ptolemaic Kings. The inner vestibule was called the "rest house of the
Gods".
At the end of the Temple is the sanctuary, which includes a niche of
grey granite where a statue of the God is supposed to be placed. In
front of the dais is a pedestal for the resting of the divine boat. The
sanctuary is surrounded, on the outside, by 12 rooms, where many
religious scenes were depicted on their walls. Some of these rooms were
used as storerooms, while the others were dedicated for different
religious purposes.
One of the most remarkable elements of the Temple is the existence of
a Nilometer, as well as a chapel, which was dedicated to the Goddess
Nut.
On various walls of the Temple, there are many battle
scenes, as well as the famous scene of the ritual of the Temple
foundation.
The northern wall of the court shows the divine marriage of Hathor and
Horus of Behdet, which was celebrated twice every year; once at the
Dendera Temple and the second time at the Edfu Temple. The Journey of
Hathor, from Dendera to Edfu and the vice versa, can also be seen on
this wall.
Another scene, on the inside of the outer corridor of the western side
of the Temple, depicts the legend of the conflict between Horus and
Seth, the victory of Horus over his uncle, and his coronation to rule
the world.
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