Overview
The temple is located on the west bank of the Nile River in Edfu in Upper Egypt. The city was known during the Hellenistic period as Apollonos polis in Greek and Apollonopolis Magna in Latin, by the chief god of the city Iros, identified in the interpretation graeca with Apollo. It is one of the best preserved places of worship in Egypt. The temple was built during the Ptolemaic period from 237 to 57 BC. The inscriptions on the walls provide important information about the language, mythology, and religion of the Hellenistic period in Egypt. In particular, the texts in the temple "detail its construction, as well as keep information about the legendary interpretation of this temple and other temples such as the island of creation."Edfu was one of the many temples built during the Ptolemaic period, including temples at Dendera, Esna, Kom Ombo, and Philae. Examine the size of the temple and the relative prosperity of the weather. Introduced on August 23, 2007, it was originally placed from the Baristelle Hall, two cross-rooms and a temple with the remains of the Sanctuary harbor. Construction began during the reign of Ptolemy III and was completed in 57 BC. Under Ptolemy. It was built on the site of an older temple from east to west instead of north and south and is the present temple. Damaged column east of the temple. A new version of the reconstruction plan appeared against the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom and Ramses.
Within the sanctuary is the Temple of Nektanevo II, a legacy from a previous building, while the sanctuary with the body of the temple is surrounded by nine sanctuaries.
The Edfu Temple ceased to function as a religious building after the decree of Theodosius I in 391 prohibiting the worship of Christians in the Roman Empire. As elsewhere, you can have temple carvings before Christianity. It is believed that the black ceiling of the column fittings that can be seen is that it was designed after the icons which were considered pagan were destroyed.
The temple was buried over the centuries at a depth of 12 meters under the desert sands and Nile sediments. The locals built houses directly above the temple site. Until 1798, only the upper parts of the temple's columns were visible, when they were outlined by a French expedition. In 1860, a French Egyptologist, Auguste Mariette, began excavating the temple, liberating it from the sand.
The Edfu temple is almost intact and is a very good example of an ancient Egyptian temple. And its archaeological importance and condition, it is worth a visit from a popular tourist destination and frequent stops for river boats sailing on the Nile. In 2005 the entrance to the temple was renovated with a center and parking lot. In 2006, a lighting system was added to visit the monument in the evening.
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