Temples in Light (Edfu and Luxor)

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August 23rd 2018

Published: July 10th 2019

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MaRs BaRs

Edfu Temple

The Sanctuary of Horus

This morning we had to unfortunately say goodbye to the amazing crew who took care of us on our Felucca journey for the past two nights as we head back to Luxor. On our way to Luxor, we stopped at the Temple of Edfu, which is considered the best preserved temple in Egypt.

Temple of Edfu

The Edfu temple is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak Temple. It has an inner sanctuary and is dedicated to the falcon god Horus. As the son of Osiris and Isis, Horus avenged his father Osiris's death at the hands of Seth in a great battle at Edfu. Seth was exiled and Horus took the throne. Egyptian Pharaohs claim to be the incarnation of Horus, who was said to be "the living king." The temple was buried in sand with homes built over the top until it was excavated by Auguste Mariette in 1860s. The sand protected the monument over the years leaving it in its well preserved state today.

The temple was really interesting to see. The inside of the temple was pretty dark but I liked how the little bit of light illuminated some of the walls of

Edfu Temple

Sunlight illuminating the Temple

the temple giving the temple an eerie feel to it. After our visit to the Temple of Edfu, it was time to head to our hotel in Luxor. After dinner, we headed off with our tour group to explore the nearby illuminated temple of Luxor

Temple of Luxor

Luxor Temple is another well preserved ancient monument. It is dedicated to Amon, king of the gods, his consort Mut and their son Khons.

The entrance (known as the first pylon) was built by Ramesses II and contains six colossal statues of him

Two red granite obelisks originally stood in front of the first pylon but only one remains. The other obelisk was removed and sent to Paris where it now stands in the center of the Place de la Concorde.

The temple since its inception has always been a sacred place for many religions. After Egypt's pagan period a Christian church and monastery was built there and in the 13th century a mosque was built there that is continued to be used today.

The temple was really cool to see at night as it was all lit up and majestic. Furthermore, it felt like the

Luxor Temple

The entrance at night

city of Luxor woke up in the evening and there were both tourists and locals exploring the temple grounds. Since the temple is located in the center of Luxor city, there may have been a festival or celebration that day because there were a lot of people hanging out around the temple.

Tomorrow, will be an exciting day. It will be the first time Renata and I ride a hot air balloon. Furthermore, we get to see the Temple of Karnak, the largest ancient religious site in the world. I cannot wait!!

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