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EDFU: The Temple of Horus  Edfu was not a terribly important place of ancient Egypt, but according to the Egyptian myths it was the place where the falcon-headed god Horus avenged the murder of his father Osiris by killing Seth. Horus was conceived after Osiris' death, and it was only following the hardship of collecting his body parts by his mother, Isis, that Osiris was sufficiently resurrected to give life to Horus. The unity of Osiris and Horus — Osiris was often understood to continue existing by his son — climaxed when Horus finally tracked down Seth and killed him.The Temple of Horus is one of the youngest grand monuments of Egypt. Its construction was begun in 237 BCE by Ptolemy 3, but not finished before 180 years later by the father of Cleopatra. Yet its structure, architecture and decorations are fully based upon much older patterns. Some Greek elements have been introduced, but generally it works well with the Egyptian ones.With a little help from its younger age, the temple is in a much better condition than the temples of Karnak, Luxor and Abydos.The pylon (the front) of the temple does not depict the battle of Horus and Seth, but rather the pharaoh while pulling the hair of his enemies with Horus and Hathor, Horus' wife, as spectators.The Temple of Horus is one of few temples that gives access to the roof, from which you get a great view over the Nile and the surrounding fields.The town of Edfu is a friendly place to stop for a couple of hours. The main activity here is production of sugar and pottery. Eat and Sleep Just a couple of fairly basic hotels in town, but their value is respectively fair and good. Very simple options for eating in Edfu. The cafeteria near the temple grounds is overpriced.Transportation Going Next
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