Exploring Egypt - Day 6

After a quiet and restful night docked near the city of Edfu, we woke early and met for a buffet breakfast in the MS Farah’s main dining room at 6:00 am.   Today we would be spending a couple of hours at the historic Temple of Edfu before sailing on to Kom Ombo, about halfway between Edfu and Aswan. 
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We disembarked from the Farah and prepared to board our transport to the Ptolemic Temple of Edfu, on the west bank of the Nile, in the ancient city.  Normally we would be transported to our destination by air-conditioned van. Today we deviated a bit and instead of boarding a van, we were loaded onto horse-drawn carriages for the 20-minute ride through the narrow streets of Edfu.  

​The Ptolemic Temple of Edfu was built between 237 and 57 BC during the Hellenistic period and is dedicated to the Egyptian God Horus.  It is one of the best preserved temples in the world and provides a perfect example of how Egyptian temples were structured.   It consists of a courtyard, a garden with columns, an anti-chamber and an inner chamber that is considered the most holy part of the temple complex and which represents an extension of Egyptian heaven.  The entire temple is covered in carvings and elaborate hieroglyphics that depict ancient scenes and inscriptions from the sacred drama - the age-old conflict between Horus and the trickster, Seth.

After about an hour and half, we met our “drivers” at the temple entrance and mounted our carriages for the ride back to the Farah.  We set sail from Edfu at 9:30 am and as such, spent most of the morning and early afternoon on the pool deck swimming and lounging under the hot Egyptian sun.  At about 3:00 PM we docked at Kom Ombo, about 65 kilometres south of Edfu on the Nile, and prepared for a late afternoon visit to Kom Ombo Temple.

Kom Ombo is an agricultural town famous for the Temple of Kom Ombo, a Graeco-Roman temple built during the 3rdCentury AD. The temple is actually a double temple, dedicated to both Horus, the falcon-headed God and Sobek the crocodile God. Sobek is associated with Seth, the enemy of Horus, and this temple was his sanctuary.  At one time the Egyptian Nile was infested with crocodiles and many were kept captive in Kom Ombo Temple.  Mummified remains have been found throughout the cemeteries in and near the temple and at the Crocodile Museum.   While many areas of the original temple were destroyed, it is possible to discern how the massive blocks were attached.  The inscriptions on the walls depict the first Egyptian calendar, a variety of medical and surgical tools as well as a birthing chair.  

​Even though we began our visit of the Kom Ombo Temple at 4:00 pm (in order to avoid the mid-afternoon heat) the temperature was still sitting at 44 degrees Celcius by 5:00 pm.   We returned to the ship and had a refreshing swim in the pool before preparing for our special al Fresco Egyptian dinner on the top deck of the Farrah.  The crew were dressed in traditional Egyptian attire, and as guests, we were encouraged to do the same.  We were able to purchase some inexpensive garb from the ship’s store specifically for the occasion.  Tables were set up on the top deck and a variety of Egyptian food was laid out on kiosks at the back of the ship.   Following the feast, we gathered downstairs in the lounge for an Egyptian style party with music and dancing.  It was a great way to end another day of exploring the mysteries of the Nile.

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​Continue to Day 7 - click here.