Under the sands of Egypt, the Temple of Horus in the city of Edfu in Aswan was once forgotten. As a result, the resurrected site is a stunning example of worship in ancient Egypt and one of the best preserved of its time. It is named after Horus, the god of kingship and the sky. It has 36-meter-tall decorated sandstone gates, a wide courtyard, and a detailed inner sanctum. Because the Greeks referred to Horus as Apollo, the temple itself is referred to in Latin as “Apollonopolis Magna.”
Hathor, the sun god Ra’s mother or partner, is also honored in the temple’s dedication. Hathor was said to leave her own temple in Dendara each year to visit Horus in Edfu during a significant annual festival. Hathor, like Horus, was one of the most revered gods in the Egyptian pantheon because she had sons or partners who represented the pharaohs’ right to rule.
The site was built from 237 BC to 57 BC under Ptolemy XII, demonstrating the strength and long-lasting power of the pharaohs of that time. The last of Egypt’s ancient dynasties was the Ptolemaic kingdom, which existed until Cleopatra VII’s death in 30 BC. The larger structure is built on top of the ruins of a temple dedicated to Horus that was built around 1292-1290 BC and is even older. The original structure was made up of a fallen pylon that can be found east of the temple.
A treasure trove of historical structures can be found within the temple complex. Two huge statues of Horus as a falcon and huge battle scenes of Ptolemaic pharaohs slaying their foes as offerings to Horus adorn the enormous gateway. A gold-plated bronze statue of Horus once stood in a second antechamber inside the temple that was dedicated to the god of kings. The original is currently on display in Paris at the Louvre. A replica of a wooden boat that would be used to transport the statue during festival processions is housed in the same room. On the eastern enclosure wall is also a very well-preserved Nilometer, which was used to measure the level of the Nile and predict the harvest.