Ancient egypt, nile, edfu, horus, history of ptolemaic egypt. History of edfu learn about the historical background of. Of all the temple remains in egypt, the temple of horus at edfu is the most completely preserved. Built from sandstone blocks the huge ptolemaic temple was constructed over the site of a smaller earlier temple, oriented east to west, towards the river. The chief god of the city of ancient times was horus of the winged disk, called the behdetite. The temple at edfu is entirely ptolemaic, texts on the outer face of the girdle wall indicate that it was begun in 237 bc and completed in 57 bc. The temple has been thoroughly documented in the magisterial series, le temple dedfou. While egypt is home to many spectacular ancient temples, it would take a lot to beat edfu temple, and especially in terms of preservation, since it is considered by many to be the countrys best preserved temple.
In the old greek documents, edfu was known as apollopolis magna because the greeks identified horus with their god apollo. Media in category statues of horus in edfu temple the following 99 files are in this category, out of 99 total. The temple of horus at edfu adventures in egypt book 1 by ann lavendar. The edfu temple in aswan contains a statue of this god with that image, in addition to a collection of statues of this god in the shape of a hawk. Built from sandstone blocks, the huge ptolemaic temple was constructed over the site of a smaller new kingdom temple, oriented east to west, facing towards the river. Due to its completeness and state of preservation, it is the best example of ptolemaic temple building in egypt. Ancient egyptian relief of horus with the body of a lion in the temple of kom ombo. Edfu is located near hierakonpolis or ancient nekhen was a major predynastic city.
The text of this legend is cut in hieroglyphics on the walls of the temple of edfu in upper egypt, and certain portions of it are illustrated by large basreliefs. Egyptian tourism authority temple of horus in edfu. The walls provide details of the construction, the religious myths and the family history of the god horus to whom the temple was dedicated. Apr 12, 2017 the site of edfu was known as wetjesetheru classical name apollinopolis magnus, the place where the god horus was worshipped and where the battle between horus and his traditional enemy seth in. Although it is much newer than cult temples at luxor or abydos, its excellent state of preservation helps to fill in many historical gaps. It is a stopping place for most of the nile cruise sailing the nile river. The temple of edfu dedicated to the falcon god horus, located on the west bank of the nile in the city of edfu, which was known in grecoroman times as apollonopolis magna after the chief god horus apollo, was built in the ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 bce.
One of the last ancient attempts at building on a grand scale, the temple. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Temple of horus commentary the temple of horus, edfu, is a fine, wellpreserved example of the period. The falconheaded deity was one of the most important gods throughout all of ancient egyptian history, but the sacred figure remains shrouded in. Apr 15, 2004 the temple of edfu is the bestpreserved of any of the temples of ancient egypt and deserves much more attention than the whistlestop tours allow. The temple was built in the ptolemaic kingdom between 237 and 57 bc. The temple of horus at edfu, built as homage to the falconheaded god horus, was erected between 237 and 57 bc, during the reign of six different ptolemies. It was built by the greeks after the last native egyptian pharaoh ruled. The temple was called mesen, the place of the harpoon, the mansion of ra, nedjemankh, pleasant to live in, the window of the falcon, the shrine of horus, and wetjeset, the place of extolling the god. Situated north to south, the temple of edfu sits atop an earlier temple that was situated east to west. Edfu temple facts edfu temple history the temple of hours. Edfu was a settlement and cemetery site from around 3000 bc onward. We know this because the edfu temple is one of the best preserved shrines in egypt. It was the home and cult centre of the falcon god horus of behdet the ancient name for edfu, although the temple of horus as it exists today is ptolemaic.
The city was formerly known as apollonopolis magna during the grecoroman period, because the romans. Horus of behdet, hathor and their son, horsamatawy. Egypt edfu temple of horus ancient egypt art, egypt art. See all 792 temple of horus at edfu tours on tripadvisor. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite. Temple of edfu in aswan, interesting facts about edfu temple.
Book tickets built during the ptolemaic kingdom between 237 and 57 bc, the temple of horus at edfu is generally regarded to be the bestpreserved of the ancient egyptian. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available. Its the secondlargest temple in egypt, only after karnak, and its main building includes a number of. Argenberg, creative commons edfu temple is an ancient egyptian temple situated on a mound on the west bank of nile river in the city of edfu, in between loxur and aswan. Temple of edfu, facts, location, inscriptions, and architecture. Edfu travel guide horus temple luxor and aswan travel. Dedicated to the deity horus and located on a hill overlooking the nile, the spectacular temple of edfu is considered to be the best preserved of the ancient egyptian shrines. Temple of edfu, facts, location, inscriptions, and. The walls show inscriptions concerning many chests of books and large leather. Book your tickets online for temple of horus, edfu. Built in classic pharaonic style, it gives a clear idea of the appearance and purpose of an egyptian temple. Book your tickets online for temple of horus at edfu, edfu. The ptolemaic period temple of horus at edfu includes a small chamber on the south wall of the east.
Jun 11, 2018 on the second day of our cruise down the nile river, we stopped in edfu to visit the temple of horus also known as the temple of edfu. See all 795 temple of horus at edfu tours on tripadvisor. Accommodation in the area does not encourage many tourists to linger, but professor kurths book may encourage the serious visitor to try. Temple of horus the oriental institute of the university of chicago. Built on a rise above the broad river valley, the temple of horus at edfu, having escaped destruction from nile floods, is the most completely preserved egyptian temple. It was built in three stages, with protracted intervals between. The city was known in the hellenistic period as koine greek. The inscriptions on the temple of edfu indicate that it was dedicated to the god horus behdty. The only example of a house of books to survive in ancient egyptian architecture, at edfu, may be misleading, as it illustrates not the largescale storage of books, but the use of the term house of books to refer to any scale of book storage. The construction of this temple began in 237 bc during the reign of ptolemy iii, and completed almost two centuries later in 57 bc by ptolemy xii, the father of the famous cleopatra. The temple of edfu is an ancient egyptian temple located on the west bank of the. The edfu temple is deeply connected to the hathor temple in denderah and was the center of large festivals. Built in classic pharaonic style, it gives a clear idea of the appearance and purpose of an egyptian temple, and explanations are inscribed on the walls.
Worshipped as the child of isis and osiris, horus was depicted with the head and often the body of a falcon and was the ruler of the skies and the deity of the pharaohs. The temple contains some of the finest art and architecture of the ptolemaic period. Today, the temple of edfu in upper egypt between luxor and aswan is one of the most beautiful and bestpreserved in all of egypt. Temple of edfu is located on the west bank of the nile river in the city of edfu. Famous for being the bestpreserved example of the architecture of the ptolemies in egypt, the temple of horus in edfu is also featured with its huge size.
Browse package vacations to egypt list for best group and private egypt vacation packages book budget and luxury egypt all inclusive vacation packages online now. We recommend booking temple of horus at edfu tours ahead of time to secure your spot. In the feast of the beautiful meeting, horus s barque tows hathors to the temple, where the deities retire to the sanctuary after suitable rituals. The ptolemaic temple at edfu 105km65 miles north of aswan, built from 257337 bc, is the best preserved and one of the finest in egypt. Temple of horus at edfu located on the west bank of the nile in upper egypt, 100 km south of thebes, edfu contains a wellpreserved temple complex devoted to horus, the falcon god. Temple of horus edfu, egypt attractions lonely planet. Exploring edfus magnificent temple of horus planetware. Temple of edfu the bestpreserved ancient egyptian temple. The temple of edfu dedicated to the falcon god horus, located on the west bank of the nile in the city of edfu, which was known in grecoroman times as apollonopolis magna after the chief god horusapollo, was built in the ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 bce. The ptolemaic period temple of horus at edfu includes a small chamber on the south wall of the. Edfu stands beside the nile almost exactly halfway between luxor and aswan it was an important sacred site to the egyptians because, according to ancient myth, this was where the falcon god horus fought a fierce battle with his uncle seth, who had cruelly murdered horuss father osiris. Deciphering the secret rituals celebrated in honour of the falc. The temple of edfu is an ancient egyptian temple located on the west bank of the nile in the city of edfu which was known in grecoroman times as apollonopolis magna, after the chief god horus apollo. It is the biggest in egypt, only coming in the 2 nd place after the huge magnificent karnak complex of temples.
Temple of horus the oriental institute of the university. The bringers of this high civilization incarnated in. At edfu, horus was worshipped as the falcon horus of behdet. Temple of edfu edfu temple the temple of horus at edfu. The publication of the vast texts and scenes covering nearly every square inch of the temple. The temple of edfu edfu temple temple of horus askaladdin. The temple of hours in edfu is one of the most beautiful ancient egyptian constructions all over the country. It is one of the best preserved ancient temples in egypt as it was buried by sand, which allowed most of the features to remain intact. The temple of horus at edfu is widely considered to be the most impressive of all of the nileside temples along the journey between luxor and aswan.
The temple of edfu is the bestpreserved of any of the temples of ancient egypt and deserves much more attention than the whistlestop tours allow. The temple of edfu is an egyptian temple located on the west bank of the nile in edfu, upper egypt. Later they emerge from the temple, embark and drift downstream to the edge of the edfu nome, where horus takes his leave. Temple of horus edfu, egypt great buildings architecture. The temple of edfu is an ancient egyptian temple located on the west bank of the nile in the city of edfu which was known in grecoroman times as apollonopolis magna, after the chief god horusapollo. The temple of horus at edfu is the best preserved of the ancient egyptian temples and one of the most famous of pharoanic monuments. Zep tepi and the mystery school system of the edfu temple. The temple of edfu maintains the classical structure of the grecoroman period, beginning with the pylon, followed by a courtyard and the building of the pronaos or hypostyle room. To the right was the house of books which acted as a library. Here are 8 extremely rare images of the ancient temple of. Today, the most important monument in the city of edfu is the temple of horus, one of the most beautiful and preserved temples in egypt. The temple of edfu, located in the city of the same name edfu is situated on the west bank of the nile, 115 km south of luxor and 105 km north of aswan.
The temple of edfus archaeological significance and high state of preservation has made it a center for tourism in egypt and a frequent stop for the many riverboats that cruise the nile. Dedicated to the god horus of behedet, lord of edfu, the temple of horus is the most famous monument at tell edfu. The edfu temple was constructed on top of a site that the ancient egyptians believed to be that of the epic battle between horus and seth. See more ideas about temple, egypt and ancient egypt. This licence only allows others to download this content and share it with others as long as the author is credited, but they cant change the content in. It is the second largest temple in egypt after karnak temple, it is located on the west bank of the nile river, halfway between luxor and aswan. The temple is an excellent example of traditional egyptian elements with greek influences mixed in. Oct 22, 2015 zep tepi the first time and the mystery school teachings of the edfu temple consecrated to horus on the walls of the edfu temple, the story of zep tepi the first time displays the rule the archons, who came to egypt and proceeded to give the people of the nile the benefits of civilization and agriculture. Next was the naos of the sanctuary, which led to the sanctum sanctorum of. Following the model of much earlier temples, a small statue of horus resided in a niche in the temples holy of holies, accessible only by the pharaoh and the high priest. In the case of edfu, each year, hathor travelled south from her temple at denderah to visit horus at edfu on a barge, and this event, marking their sacred marriage, was the occasion of a great festival and pilgrimage. Of all the temple remains in egypt, the temple of horus at edfu is the most wellpreserved and the only one we know to have been completed. The temple, dedicated to the falcon god horus, was built during the hellenistic period between 237 and 57 b. Edfu temple is the most preserved cult temple in egypt because it was one of the last temples built during the ptolemaic kingdom between 237 and 57 bcto be a worship house of the sky deity horus.
A newbie it may be in the vast scale of ancient egypts history, but the temple of horus in edfu 110 kilometers south of luxor and 112 kilometers north of aswan is a mustdo stop if you want to experience the sheer scale and ambition of egypts temple builders. The temple of horus, also known as the edfu temple, is an incredibly wellpreserved monument to one of ancient egypts most important deities, horus. It is dedicated to horus, hathor and their son, horus the younger or uniter of the two lands. Ritual in an ancient egyptian temple tempus history. This great temple lies at the center of the cult of a triad of gods. The chief monument of ancient idfu is the great sandstone temple of horus, 451 feet 8 metres long and 250 feet 76 metres wide, standing on the. Arriving in edfu, a town on the banks of the river nile about halfway between aswan and luxor, youll then visit the temple of horus. I go over very ancient edfu, the temple of horus, the reason i think its very ancient, hieroglyphs, the building text, builder gods, the atlantis connection with. The main building was the great temple of horus behedti.
Book your the temple of horus at edfu tickets online and skiptheline. It is a required stop by all of the cruise ships that make the trip, also stopping at esna and kom ombo. Edfu the city of edfu temple of horus at edfu luxor. The temple is oriented from south to north, measuring little over 140m long and occupying an area of about 7000m2. The temple was constructed by an order from ptolemy iii on 23 august 237 bc and completed in the reign of ptolemy xii in 57 bc. Save time and money with our best price guarantee make the most of your visit to edfu. Take a luxurious journey through egyptian history and culture on a 4day, 3night cruise on the river nile from aswan to luxor. Temple of horus, edfu illustration ancient history. Known also as the temple of horus, its exceptionally wellpreserved inscriptions have provided egyptologists with remarkable insights into ancient egypts political and religious ideas a colossal horus statue in his falcon form. This is the oldest and most authentic guide to an ancient egyptian temple ever written its author was an ancient egyptian priest who lived in the first century b. One hawk stands higher than a man, the other lies legless in the dust.
The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth and religion. The temple of edfu, dedicated to the falcon god horus, is the second largest egyptian temple after karnak and one of the best preserved. The temple of horus at edfu is home to one of the amazing pylons of all the ancient egyptian temples, 37m high and intricately decorated with battle scenes, representing king ptolemy viii submitting his enemies before the god horus the temple is also home to a. Both text and reliefs were published by professor naville in his volume entitled mythe dhorus, fol. Inscriptions on its walls provide information on language, myth and religion during the grecoroman period in ancient. Edfu temple one of egypts best preserved ancient temples. See all 824 temple of horus at edfu tours on tripadvisor. The current temple at edfu is not only dedicated to horus, but also to hathor of denderah, as well as her son harsomtus.
His consort was hathor of dandarah, whose statue during the late empire was brought to idfu annually by boat on a ceremonial visit. The temple of edfu was built by the greek rulers of egypt beginning in the third century b. When our river boat docked at edfu, we were led to a horse carriage and took a short ride. Dedicated to the god horus of behedet, lord of edfu, the temple of horus is the most famous. Temple of horus the oriental institute of the university of. Second only to the temple of karnak in sheer size, the temple was one of the last attempts by the ptolemaic dynasty at building in the style and grandeur of their predecessors. Zep tepi the first time and the mystery school teachings of the edfu temple consecrated to horus on the walls of the edfu temple, the story of zep tepi the first time displays the rule the archons, who came to egypt and proceeded to give the people of the nile the benefits of civilization and agriculture. Temple of horus in edfu the well preserved ptolemaic temple of horus is the second biggest temple in egypt. Both text and reliefs were published by professor naville in his volume entitled mythe d horus, fol. A rectangular colonnade connects with a 36 meterhigh twin pylon or gateway, leading to the temples inner sanctuary. Uploaded by ibolya horvath, published on 07 march 2016 under the following license. Oriented on a northsouth axis, the temple of horus replaced a previous temple that appears to have had an eastwest orientation.
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