The double temple of Kom Ombo is an ancient Egyptian temple complex on the eastern bank of the Nile in Upper Egypt. The temple is located about 3.5 kilometers southwest of the center of Kom Ombo, which has a population of around 70,000.
The parts of the building that are visible today date from the time of the Ptolemies' rule over Egypt, and to a small extent also from the era of belonging to the Roman Empire. The temple was dedicated to the two separately venerated deities سوبك and Horus, which is why it is referred to as a "double temple". The structures of the temple complex were badly affected by forces of nature such as floods and erosion of the masonry
The double temple of Kom Ombo was built in the Ptolemaic epoch of Egypt from 304 to 31 BC. Chr. Kom Ombo, the then Omboi (also Ombos), was at that time, next to Elephantine, the administrative center of the first Upper Egyptian Gau Ta-seti. The double temple, which can still be visited today, was used to worship the two deities Sobek, the crocodile god, and the falcon-headed Horus.
The ruins of the temple of Kom Ombo were for a long time over half covered by sand. They were only uncovered and restored in 1893 under Jacques de Morgan. In front of the temple there was a large mammisi ("birthplace") of Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II until the 19th century. During a flood, the Nile tore the building, including the western part of the surrounding wall, with it for the most part. The fact that the system was built 20 meters above the normal level of the Nile still gives an idea of the extent of the disaster.
In the recent history of Egypt, the location of the temple complex developed into a center of attraction for tourism. A visit to the temple of Kom Ombo is an integral part of the river trips on the Nile between 150 kilometers north of Luxor and 40 kilometers to the south of Aswan. The landing stage for the cruise ships on the Nile is right next to the double temple, about 70 meters west of the temple complex.
The god Haroeris formed a separate triad in Kom Ombo with Ta-senet-nofret and Pa-neb-taui, as did the god Sobek with Hathor and Chons. The building, which is still visible today, was probably built under Ptolemy VI. Philometor, built on the remains of much smaller predecessor buildings of the 12th, 18th and 19th dynasties of the Middle and New Kingdom. The enclosure wall surrounded the temple at a width of 51 and a length of 96 meters. The decoration continued into the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, but was never fully completed. In the rear of the temple, in the chapels there, only partially prepared reliefs can be seen. Other parts of the temple were later destroyed, such as the western part of the access pylon with the adjoining surrounding wall and the Mammisi attached to it. They fell victim to the flooding of the Nile
The parts of the building that are visible today date from the time of the Ptolemies' rule over Egypt, and to a small extent also from the era of belonging to the Roman Empire. The temple was dedicated to the two separately venerated deities سوبك and Horus, which is why it is referred to as a "double temple". The structures of the temple complex were badly affected by forces of nature such as floods and erosion of the masonry
The double temple of Kom Ombo was built in the Ptolemaic epoch of Egypt from 304 to 31 BC. Chr. Kom Ombo, the then Omboi (also Ombos), was at that time, next to Elephantine, the administrative center of the first Upper Egyptian Gau Ta-seti. The double temple, which can still be visited today, was used to worship the two deities Sobek, the crocodile god, and the falcon-headed Horus.
The ruins of the temple of Kom Ombo were for a long time over half covered by sand. They were only uncovered and restored in 1893 under Jacques de Morgan. In front of the temple there was a large mammisi ("birthplace") of Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II until the 19th century. During a flood, the Nile tore the building, including the western part of the surrounding wall, with it for the most part. The fact that the system was built 20 meters above the normal level of the Nile still gives an idea of the extent of the disaster.
In the recent history of Egypt, the location of the temple complex developed into a center of attraction for tourism. A visit to the temple of Kom Ombo is an integral part of the river trips on the Nile between 150 kilometers north of Luxor and 40 kilometers to the south of Aswan. The landing stage for the cruise ships on the Nile is right next to the double temple, about 70 meters west of the temple complex.
The double temple
The temple of Kom Ombo on the eastern bank of the Nile is a specialty. In contrast to most other ancient Egyptian sacred buildings, two deities were worshiped separately from each other. The south-eastern side facing away from the Nile, as seen from the double main entrance, was dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god of water and fertility, and later also the creator god. In the left, north-western half temple, the worship was the Haroeris, the god of light and sky, but also the god of war. The falcon-headed Haroeris was a manifestation of the god Horus, also called "Horus the great" or "Horus the old". After the deities, the temple was referred to as the “house of the crocodile” and the “falcon castle”.
The god Haroeris formed a separate triad in Kom Ombo with Ta-senet-nofret and Pa-neb-taui, as did the god Sobek with Hathor and Chons. The building, which is still visible today, was probably built under Ptolemy VI. Philometor, built on the remains of much smaller predecessor buildings of the 12th, 18th and 19th dynasties of the Middle and New Kingdom. The enclosure wall surrounded the temple at a width of 51 and a length of 96 meters. The decoration continued into the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, but was never fully completed. In the rear of the temple, in the chapels there, only partially prepared reliefs can be seen. Other parts of the temple were later destroyed, such as the western part of the access pylon with the adjoining surrounding wall and the Mammisi attached to it. They fell victim to the flooding of the Nile
Outbuildings and facilities
The Mammisi (Coptic: place of birth)
In front of the western corner of the forecourt to the temple, the Mammisi, a "birthplace", stood until the 19th century, before the Nile, with the exception of a few remains, washed away with the western part of the surrounding wall during a flood. The Mammisi was created by Pharaoh Ptolemy VIII. Today two relief stones with the two main gods of the temple Sobek and Haroeris are placed next to the temple courtyard.
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