The Temple of Horus in Edfu

This morning we boarded a horse-drawn buggy and set out for the Temple of Horus, also known as Edfu temple. One of the first things you see is a pair of falcon guards representing Horus, and a small figure standing between the legs of one of them. This is said to be Augustus Caesar.














There are some massive columns here with beautiful colors surviving along the cornices.





The Coptic Christians had done a fairly good job of demolishing parts of this place, but other rooms are virtually untouched. As usual, we poked around in darkened corners and discovered a twisting passageway mounting to the roof.




Entry to the roof was blocked of course, but in this crowded temple we were the only people to explore this spectacular passageway.







In another low ceilinged hallway, a local was singing softly in Arabic which added a mysterious background soundtrack to our explorations.




There was a carving here of the King offering fire to Horus, which Milad told us signifies marriage. (shown in the video below)



Once carving depicted part of the celebration with a host of bald-pated priests carrying a ship upon which Horus sat. Intricately carved, and very beautiful.





BUT THEN...



In the next room, the central chamber of the temple - THERE IT WAS!!! The actual craft, the ceremonial barge on which the image of Horus would be carried during festivals! Unbelievably preserved, traces of paint still visible on the face decorating the prow. Behind it loomed the granite house of Horus, which had once contained a gilded wooden statue of the god.




This piece of living history, preserved here in it's temple built over 2,000 years ago, moved me deeply, and I stand staring for several minutes, goose bumps crawling across my skin, my throat tight with emotion.




We were dressed in our "Adventure outfits", and we filmed a little clip of the hidden staircase that was a tribute to a scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. It is stuck here, in the middle of this "trailer!"