Lingue
cat
cat

The Temple of Kom Ombo

post

The Temple of Kom Ombo is an unusual double temple located in the city of Kom Ombo in the Aswan Governorate of Upper Egypt. It was built during the Ptolemaic Dynasty (180-47 BC). Some additions were made to it later during the Roman period. The double dedication of the temple is reflected in its plan: perfectly symmetrical along the main axis of the temple, there are two double entrances, two halls connected by columns with sculptures of the two gods. On either side and twin sanctuaries. It is presumed that there were also two priesthoods. The left (western) side of the temple was dedicated to the god Haroeris and the right (eastern) half to Sobek. The reused blocks suggest an earlier temple from the Middle Kingdom, but the main temple was built by Ptolemy VI Philometor and most of its decoration was completed by Cleopatra VII's father, Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos. The temple's dramatic riverine location has eroded some of its front and Roman-style outer sections, but much of the complex remains standing and is very similar in layout to the Ptolemaic temples at Edfu and Dendera, though smaller.