Photo : Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Luxor · Edfu
Temple of Edfu
A Ptolemaic temple still almost whole, roof included, dug out of the silt in the 1860s.
The temple of Horus was begun in 237 BC under Ptolemy III and finished nearly two centuries later, in one manner held to from start to finish. Sand and silt had buried it to the capitals and the village had settled on top; Auguste Mariette had it cleared in the 1860s, which is why it has kept its walls, its roofs and the darkness of its inner halls. Black granite falcons guard the gate of the great pylon, whose faces show the king striking his enemies before Horus. Inside, the carved texts set out the order of the rites day by day, and the story of Horus's victory over Seth, which was performed here like a play. Once a year the barque of Hathor came up the river from Dendera to this place, for the Feast of the Beautiful Meeting.
The extra bit
Leave Luxor early and take Esna then Edfu in the same day, Esna first as it is on the way. At Edfu, go straight into the back halls while they are still cool and dark, and keep the great court for last.
Know before you go
Reckon half a day from Luxor for the driving alone, there and back, and agree the length of the stop with your driver. From the boat mooring to the temple the horse carriages ply back and forth: settle the fare out, the fare back and the charge for waiting before you climb in. The inner halls are pitch dark and your phone will be of more use than the guards' torches, which are switched on for a tip. Nothing is explained on the walls, and the site offers no shade beyond the temple itself.
