Located in the town of Kom-Ombo, about 28 miles north of Aswan, the Temple, dating to the Ptolemies, is built on a high dune overlooking the Nile. The actual temple was started by Ptolemy VI Philometor in the early second century BC. Ptolemy XIII built the outer and inner hypostyle halls. The outer enclosure wall and part of the court were built by Augustus sometime after 30 BC, and are mostly gone. There are also tombs from the Old Kingdom in the vicinity of Kom-Ombo village.
The Temple known as Kom Ombo is actually two temples consisting of a Temple to Sobek and a Temple of Haroeris. In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank near here. The Temple has scant remains, due first to the changing Nile, then the Copts who once used it as a church, and finally by builders who used the stones for new buildings.
Sobek, the crocodile god
A relief with the pharaoh wearing his Maccedonian mantle, before the triad of Haroeris, Sobek and Khonsu
Everything is duplicated along the main axis. There are two entrances, two courts, two colonades, two hypostyle halls and two sanctuaries. There were probably even two sets of priests. The left, or northern side is dedicated to Haroeris (sometimes called Harer, Horus the Elder) who was the falcon headed sky god and the right to Sobek (the corcodile headed god). The two gods are accompanied by their families. They include Haroeris' wife named Tesentnefert, meaning the good sister and his son, Panebtawy. Sobeck likewise is accompanied by his consort, Hathor and son, Khonsu.
The hypostyle hall
A relief of Horus on a column in the hypostyle hall
Foundations are all that are left of the original Pylon. Beyond the Pylon, there was once a staircase in the court that lead to a roof terrace. The court has a columned portico and central altar. There is a scene of the King leaving his palace escorted by standards. Near the sanctuary is a purification scene. On either side of the door to the pronaos are columns inscribed with icons of the lotus (south) and papyrus (north), symbolizing the 'two lands' of Egypt.
A pylon at the Temple of Kom Ombo
In the southwest corner of the pronaos is the one column that does not echo the duality of the temples. Here, there are scenes depicting purification of the King, his coronation and his consecration of the Temple. The ceiling has astronomical images.
The papyrus shaped columns
The hypostyle hall has papyrus capitals on the columns. Here, there is an inventory of the scared places of Egypt, the gods of the main towns and the local and national festivals.
The double entrance of Kom Ombo
In the anti chamber, there are scenes depicting the goddess Seshat launching the building of the temple, followed by a scene of the completed temple with the king throwing natron in a purification ceremony. The staircase leading to the roof is all that remains of the offering hall.
A relief of Horus
A relief of Ptolemy VI
Statues to the gods and the builders of the temple once occupied the net room just before the sanctuaries. The ceiling of the pure place to the north still remains with an image of Nut. There is little left of the sanctuaries.
From here two distinctly separate entrances lead to the second hypostyle hall, or "hall of offering", smaller than the one before. Here too the central row of columns acts as a divider. Both the architecture and the decoration are the same as in the first hall, for the same scenes and subjects are repeated. The figures depicted this time are Ptolemy VIII, Evergetes II, his wife Cleopatra and Ptolemy XII, Neo Dionysos.
The sanctuary area of the temple
After this hall come three vestibules placed transversally, the last of which leads to the sanctuary, or to be more precise, the two sanctuaries of Haroeris and Sobek. All three rooms were built by Ptolemy VI, Philometer and he is shown in the reliefs on the walls. In one of these on the internal wall of the last vestibule, the pharaoh is seen wearing his Maccedonian mantle, before the triad of Haroeris, Sobek and Khonsu. Unfortunately not much is left of the sanctuaries dedicated to the two divinities: unlike the rest of the temple in which the right and left hand parts were fused together, the sanctuaries were clearly separated by an intermediate wall. An idea of how rich the decoration must have been can still be gathered from a fragment in the sanctuary of Haroeris. The long dedicatory inscription with the name of Cleopatra on the left door is still intact. A double corridor surrounds the entire temple: seven small rooms open off the interior corridor behind the shrines. A staircase leads from the center room to the terrace above, with a breath-taking view over the entire temple. These chapels were also decorated, even though the reliefs often remained unfinished. Luckily the relief on the internal facade of the second wall has survived. It depicts a whole series of surgeon's instruments; confirming once again the high degree of skill achieved in the field of medicine.
Surgical instruments
The Temple of Kom-Ombo
From here two distinctly separate entrances lead to the second hypostyle hall, or "hall of offering", smaller than the one before. Here too the central row of columns acts as a divider. Both the architecture and the decoration are the same as in the first hall, for the same scenes and subjects are repeated. The figures depicted this time are Ptolemy VIII, Evergetes II, his wife Cleopatra and Ptolemy XII, Neo Dionysos.
The sanctuary area of the temple
After this hall come three vestibules placed transversally, the last of which leads to the sanctuary, or to be more precise, the two sanctuaries of Haroeris and Sobek. All three rooms were built by Ptolemy VI, Philometer and he is shown in the reliefs on the walls. In one of these on the internal wall of the last vestibule, the pharaoh is seen wearing his Maccedonian mantle, before the triad of Haroeris, Sobek and Khonsu. Unfortunately not much is left of the sanctuaries dedicated to the two divinities: unlike the rest of the temple in which the right and left hand parts were fused together, the sanctuaries were clearly separated by an intermediate wall. An idea of how rich the decoration must have been can still be gathered from a fragment in the sanctuary of Haroeris. The long dedicatory inscription with the name of Cleopatra on the left door is still intact. A double corridor surrounds the entire temple: seven small rooms open off the interior corridor behind the shrines. A staircase leads from the center room to the terrace above, with a breath-taking view over the entire temple. These chapels were also decorated, even though the reliefs often remained unfinished. Luckily the relief on the internal facade of the second wall has survived. It depicts a whole series of surgeon's instruments; confirming once again the high degree of skill achieved in the field of medicine.
Surgical instruments
The Temple of Kom-Ombo
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