"The Best Preserved Temple Of The Ancient World !" Idfu by coceng

Idfu Travel Guide: 88 reviews and 362 photos

KOM OMBO<<<<<EDFU>>>>>KARNAK TEMPLE
EGYPT27th April 2005 ( Wednesday )

INFORMATION...

Edfu (also called Idfu) is indeed a lively town !
Tourists & locals make this town almost a bustle place for bargaining;
There are shops & banks; There are horse drawn carriages.
The most significant sight is :The Ptolemic Temple Of EdfuDedicated to The Falcon God : Horoeris OR Horus.
It was built over a 180 years period; From 237 BC ( Ptolemy III ) to 57 BC ( Ptolemy XII ).
This is made evidence of the inscriptions on the walls in this temple.
This temple is the BEST preserved Pharoanic temple in Egypt ! Or from the ancient world for that matter...
This temple was built on a higher ground than most temples along The Nile hence it has been escaping the floods from The Nile through the centuries.
The main entrance to the temple is through the 36 meter high Pylon, guarded by 2 huge granite falcons which are decorated with reliefs of Ptolemy XII...
Then, we reach The Great Court.
Don't forget to wander to The Outer & Inner Hypostyle Halls.
On either side of the halls, there's a Passage of Victory.
On the walls of this Passage of Victory are decorated with reliefs (from top to the bottom...) of scenes of ancient Egyptian rituals.

The town itself, Edfu is a centre for sugar & pottery.
Nevertheless, recently tourism has been the major income for people living in Edfu.
There's a lively shops or bazaars just before we can enter The Temple of Edfu.
Bargain hard !
Or leave them yelling at you...
This temple is situated in the West-Bank of The Nile.
If coming by train, you have to cross The Nile or rather walking along on the bridge over the river.
If coming by convoy, no need to worry as you would be dropped off right to the temple entrance or the hassling bazaars !
We can also reach here by Nile cruises as it sits by the river anyway.
We could wander the Edfu town for a few hours maybe before getting back to your cruise ship, or your convoy or your taxi.
My experience was : We hired a taxi from Aswan to see Kom Ombo & Edfu; Reaching these places by the convoy.
We didn't want to wait too long to get back to Aswan (or rather we didn't want to wait for the incoming convoy from Luxor) hence we paid a police (him even carrying a machine-gun !) to accompany us in our taxi so that we could reach safely back to Aswan...

Pros and Cons

Pros:The Biggest Well-Preserved Pharoanic Temple In The World !
Cons:Again, The Hassles At The Bazaars Just Before Entering The Temple Of Edfu Is Something That You Have To Pass Through...
In a nutshell:A Great Day Trip Either From Aswan Or Luxor...