Late Morning Itinerary: Temple of Horus
~ 39°C/102°F

By Paul Bryers

Once again, our intrepid AMA Guide Mohammed set the scene for our visit.

Horus is an ancient Egyptian falcon-headed god associated with kingship, the sky, and protection. He is the son of Isis and Osiris and became the rightful king after avenging his father’s death by defeating his uncle, Set. His name means “the one who is above,” and his symbol, the Eye of Horus, represents health and healing after he lost his eye in the battle against Set.

Statues or Images of Horus..

…and the Eye of Horus

The Temple of Horus is a remarkably well-preserved ancient temple. The Temple’s preservation was largely due to it being buried under about 12 meters (39 feet) of desert sand and silt from the Nile until the 19th century.

Built during the Greco-Roman period between 237 and 57 BC, it is one of the best examples of a classical Egyptian temple due to its complete state.

Key features include a massive pylon gateway, heavily decorated outer and inner walls, a courtyard with 32 columns, a hypostyle hall, and an inner sanctuary.

The towering entrance pylon, 36 meters high and 70 meters wide, is decorated with a large relief of Ptolemy XII smiting enemies before Horus and Hathor.

Inner and outer walls are impressive in the detail of their depictions of Horus’ exploits.

The entry to the courtyard is guarded by Horus.

A large peristyle court is surrounded by columns and features reliefs depicting the “Feast of the Joyous Union,” the sacred marriage of Horus and Hathor.

The temple columns are covered in well-preserved reliefs and hieroglyphs detailing religious myths, pharaonic rituals, and the eternal struggle between Horus and his bad Uncle Seth.

The hypostyle hall is a massive, roofed hall supported by many columns, leading toward the temple’s inner sanctuary. The hall is also known for its impressive size, and the statues of Horus as a falcon guarding its entrance.

Within the hall, secluded entrances lead you to secret chambers within the temple walls. Spooky.

The inner sanctuary is guarded by Horus and contains reliefs and religious scenes and once housed a sacred bark for the god’s statue.

The guard seems to be having a wee siesta. Quite right. The heat and humidity in the temple are pretty bad.