The temple of kom ombo 1

The Temple of kom ombo 1

Detail of a column carving at the remains of The temple of kom ombo

The Temple of kom ombo is about 30 miles (48 km) north of Aswan and was built during the Graeco-Roman period (332 BC AD 395).

There was an earlier structure from the 18th

dynasty

 but little remains.
Ombos was a garrison town under every

dynasty

 

of

Egypt

, Pharaonic, Macedonian, and Roman, and was celebrated for the magnificence of its temples and its hereditary feud with the people of.
The city was a bishopric before the Muslim conquest, and Ombos was a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church, referred to as Ombi; this has been vacant since 1966.
Karol Wojtyła (the future Pope John Paul II) was titular bishop of Ombi from 1958 until 1963, when he was appointed Archbishop of Kraków.


The Temple of kom ombo is unique because it is in fact two temples , the first dedicated to Sobek the

crocodile gods

, and the second dedicated to Horus the god the falcon-headed god.
Long ago,

crocodiles in Ancient Egypt

 probably sunned themselves on an island nearby.
The Roman coins of the Ombite nome exhibit the

crocodile gods

 and the effigy of the crocodile-headed god Sobek.
Today, there are no

crocodiles in Ancient Egypt

 to be seen - except for some mummified ones on display at

the Temple of kom ombo

 complex.
The layout combines two temples in one with each side having its own gateways and chapels.
As there are two principal entrances,

the Temple of kom ombo

 would seem to be two united in one.
The name Kom Ombo (the Ancient Greek settlement of Ombos) comes from the Ancient

Egypt

ian word nubt which means City Of Gold(not to be confused with the city north of Naqada that was also called Nubt/Ombos).
The town is located in the mouth of an old wadis which lead to the regions in which gold was mined.
The Temple of kom ombo is located upon a hill lock at the Ancient site of Ombos which has been occupied from prehistoric times.

The Temple of kom ombo , 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 of kom ombo was excavated last century, although part of it has been lost into the Nile and an earthquake in 1992 caused some further damage.


The colour of

the Temple of kom ombo

 changes as the sun sets.
Markets are just outside the entrance to

the Temple of kom ombo

 - have your money ready for those items of clothing you'll be tempted with as you approach or leave the temple.

	Detail of a column carving at the remains of The temple of kom ombo
Temple hieroglyphics kom ombo		Temple kom ombo nile	Temple Ombo Kom 1
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Temple Ombo Kom Cleopatra		Temple Ombo Kom Crocodile gods Mummies 1	Temple Ombo Kom Horus Sobek
Temple Ombo Kom map	Temple Ombo Kom sobek		Temple Ombo Kom sobek 1