Also known as the temple of Kom Ombo, this construction is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus. It is one of the more magnificent temples left to us from the 18th Egyptian dynasty.
When ferocious crocodiles still roamed the Nile, Kom Ombo was a sanctuary for the reptiles, which would come out the river and sun themselves in good weather. Ancient Egyptians believed that by adopting them as totem animals they could propitiate them and keep them from gobbling up humans who strayed into their territory.
The temple itself is actually a double temple, with the northern half devoted to Horus and the southern side to Sobek. Still visible today are the pillars, arches and columnades, along with an impressively decorated hypostyle (a ceiling supported by columns).
The temple itself is actually a double temple, with the northern half devoted to Horus and the southern side to Sobek. Still visible today are the pillars, arches and columnades, along with an impressively decorated hypostyle (a ceiling supported by columns).
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