Idfu Things to Do

Taking a river cruise along the Nile, you will most definitely stop at Idfu and visit the Temple of Horace. In all the temples that I visited in Egypt, this one definitely has some of the most impressive engravings and statues. Peruse through others tips and photos. I will not bother posting my entire photo album here...

It is south of Luxor and north of Kawm Umbu.

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The Temple of Horus is dedicated to Horus - the falcon headed Egyptian god. It is considered that it was built during the reigns of six Ptolemies. Tourists have a great deal of information about its construction from reliefs on outer areas. Most of the work continued throughout this period with a brief interlude of 20 years while there was unrest during the period of Ptolemy IV and Ptolemy V Epiphanes.

This is not only the best preserved ancient temple in Egypt, but the second largest after Karnak. It was believed that the temple was built on the site of the great battle between Horus and Seth. Hence, the current temple was but the last in a long series of temples build on this location. It is said that the original structure housing a statue of Horus was a grass hut built in prehistoric times. At any rate, there is an earlier and smaller pylon of Ramesses II which sits in a 90 degree angle to the current building.

The main building, which includes a great Hypostyle Hall, was uncovered by Mariette in the 1860s.

VT has the separate location for this Temple. To learn more about this Temple I advise you to visit my Temple of Horus page.

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The temple at Edfu is the most preserved one in Egypt and this makes it very valuable since it reveals ancient Egyptian architecture and religious decorations on the walls. But we should have in mind that the temple was built at Ptolemaic times i.e. on one hand relatively late and on other hand there can be seen ancient Greek influence.
The construction started at 237 BC in the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes I and it was finished in 57 BC and it is amazing and very rare that the building continued so long and in the same time in such harmonious manner. Unlike the temple at Karnak the one at Edfu was completed. The criteria for this are the decorations on the outer pylon done by Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysus, the father of Cleopatra VII.
The temple was excavated by August Mariette, the founder of Cairo Museum, in 1860s.

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These remaining images are devoted to the exterior walls which are large and in great condition. The reliefs require considerable study, time that I didn't have then, but wish I had now. There is also the entrance colonnade to the mamissi, which retains considerable color in the shadows away from the harsh Egyptian sun.

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There are numerous passageways, and I have many photos of them. The images here are a sample of what may be seen. One of the more interesting painted images of Nut, the goddess of the sky. Outside is the passage of victory that celebrates the triumph of Horus the falcon over Seth the hippo.

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Second in size only to Karnak, the great Hypostyle Hall is in a much better state of preservation. The Greek style capitals and stone ceiling show considerable smoke damage suggesting that for a period at least, the temple was occupied as a residence. There are numerous passages where photography is challenging due to low light levels. In one part of the rear interior of the temple, I found a lovely relief of the conjugal visit between Horus and Hathor.

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The first pylon is huge and has a comparatively large entrance gate, to the right of which stands a statue of the god Horus, the falcon headed son of Osiris and Isis. Seth killed Osiris, and so the Horus avenged his father's death, according to legend on this very spot. Horus killed his uncle in mortal combat, a scene depicted on the first pylon relief. The forecourt was a place for ceremonies having to do with a live falcon that represented the god Horus. It is from Horus that all Pharoah's are descended, and so this temple is likely constructed on a site where earlier temples stood. According to tradition, the earliest temple was a grass hut built in prehistoric times. In more recent times, the temple was buried in sand and debris, with part of the village sitting atop the roof of the Great Hypostyle Hall and uncovered during the 1860's by Mariette and local Arab workers.

The temple of Horus, is a fair way from the banks of the Nile, so if you arrive by boat, you need to arrange transport.
There is no shotage of the horse drawn variety to speed you on your way. It is best to agree a price with your driver in advance, and for the animal lovers slip him a few quid extra and make sure the horse gets fed.