Temple of Edfu

The Temple of Edfu or the Temple of Horus is the second largest temple in Egypt in terms of size, as it was only preceded in size by the Temple of Karnak. Edfu Temple is located in the north of Aswan Governorate, in the city of Edfu, in the far south of Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile River. 

The temple was built during the Ptolemaic era, and it took about 180 years to build the Horus Temple, as the temple was dedicated to the worship of the god “Horus”. The temple is considered one of the best shrines that preserves its elegance and beauty in Egypt, as the inscriptions and texts on the walls of the temple tell of the ancient conflict that occurred between the god “Horus” and The god “Set” built the temple where that battle took place. 

The inscriptions also provide details about the construction of the temple and how this wonderful building was preserved for him and for all the other temples.

Description of the Temple of Edfu (Horus)

At the entrance to the Temple of Edfu, there is a huge edifice in the form of two towers. In the front of it there are two granite statues in the form of a falcon representing the god Horus. On this edifice there are inscriptions representing King Ptolemy II, divided into his military victories, as well as a picture with deities. 

After that The huge gate has an open courtyard containing columns with vegetal capitals, just like the Great and Small Hypostyle Hall, then the Holy of Holies Hall in the temple. In the Great Hypostyle Hall there are scenes and engravings of the founding of the temple, depicting King Ptolemy with deities. There are also scenes in the Small Hypostyle Hall on its walls. A wonderful depiction of the sacred journey of the two gods, Horus and Hathor.

Features of Edfu Temple

The Temple of Edfu is one of the wonderful Ptolemaic temples in terms of construction and planning. The Temple of Edfu is also one of the few well-preserved temples. The Temple of Edfu is considered one of the completed temples, as the Temple of Edfu is one of the most important ancient Egyptian temples because it is the house of the god “Hor” in southern Egypt. 

The discovery of the Temple of Edfu in Upper Egypt by the head of the French Department of Antiquities and Excavations, Auguste Maryet, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty.

Holidays associated with the Temple of Edfu

There are many holidays associated with the Temple of Edfu, such as the Feast of the Flood Season, one of the most important holidays. It is celebrated in the Temple of Edfu, as it represents the union of God with the disk of the sun. The date of this feast was at the beginning of the year and the first season of the year. The Feast of the Beautiful Meeting of the Year is also held in the temple. The holidays that the people of the city of Edfu attended in the Temple of Edfu. The king was also crowned in this temple, and there are many drawings that refer to this

Myths associated with the Temple of Edfu

The walls of the Temple of Edfu depicted many of the myths that were immortalized on the walls and papyri of the Temple of Horus, the most important of which are:

1. The myth of Horus’s victory over his enemies.
2. The myth of the birth day of the god Horus.
3. The legend of the hippopotamus.
4. The legend of the drink of love.
5. The myth of the god merging with the sun disk.
There are unusual and different aspects inside the Temple of Edfu that make it different and distinct from ancient Egyptian temples, such as:
1. There is a Nile gauge inside the temple.
2. The temple was built on a raised terrace of land.
3. The decorations of the columns, especially their capitals.
4. The gradual rise of the temple as we delve deeper into it.