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As we cruised along the Nile, our first stop before after setting off from Aswan was Kom Ombo. We reached the dock early in the evening. By the time we got to the temple, it was dark, but that made the visit much more interesting for me.
Kom Ombo
Kom Ombo was a temple dedicated to the gods Horus and Sobek. It’s actually two temples in one, which was rare in the ancient Egyptian world. Construction began under Ptolemy VI Philometor around 150 BC and finished under Ptolemy XIII around 50 BC. Adult admission for foreigners is E£360 (as of March 2024).
There were some very well preserved reliefs and hieroglyphics as we inspected the temple with our guide, Ramis.
The most amazing section of the temple is a detailed ancient calendar indicating the Nile flood season and harvest season down to the days of each month. There was also a wall with hieroglyphics showing early medical tools, which weren’t much different than some simple medical tools used today.
Ramis pointed out a secret entrance for priests. He said the priests would speak to the common people from inside the chamber and it would echo as if the gods were speaking directly to them. There was also a pit where Cleopatra was said to have bathed in donkey milk, and a Nilometer, which measured the reach of the Nile floods.
Crocodile Museum
Outside the entrance to the temple sits the Crocodile Museum. Around 300 crocodile mummies were discovered in the area and a select few are on display. Admission is included with the entry to Kom Ombo.
The museum highlighted the mummification process for crocodiles. This was extremely interesting to me and the rest of the group.
Back to the Boat
After visiting the temple, it was back to the cruise ship. I had dinner and drinks with my tour friends as we began our overnight ride to Edfu.
