"I just wanted to let you know how thrilled I was with the holiday and that was down to the country itself, the fantastic itinerary, and the wonderful people involved with Egypt Uncovered."
Dan Matthews (Grand Egyptian Adventure) |
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TEMPLE OF KOM OMBO, EGYPT
 Our tours that visit the Temple of Kom Ombo
The town of Kom Ombo is located 30 miles north (or downstream) from the city of Aswan. Most people visit the temple from either a cruise or a felucca boat.
Many of the Nubians displaced by Lake Nasser and the building of the High Dam have now settled here. In ancient times the town stood at the crossroads of the caravan route from Nubia and trails from the gold mines of the Eastern Desert. It was also a training camp for African war elephants during the reign of Ptolemies. While Modern day Kom Ombo is known to the local workers for its sugar refinery and felucca building yards, tourists arrive in the town to visit the Temple of Haroeris and Sobek.
The stone here differs from other sites because it was covered in sand for so long.
The Temple known as Kom Ombo - actually two temples consisting of a Temple to Sobek and a Temple of Haroeris - stands on a low promontory near a bend in the river Nile. The Temple has been affected in many ways over the years, firstly due to the ever changing Nile, then the Copts who once used it as a church, and finally by builders who used the stones for new buildings.
 Everything at the site is duplicated along the main axis. There are two entrances, two courts, two colonades, two hypostyle halls and two sanctuaries. There were probably even two sets of priests. The left, or northern side is dedicated to Haroeris (sometimes called Harer, Horus the Elder) who was the falcon headed sky god and the right to Sobek (the crocodile headed god). In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank near here and mummified crocodiles can still be seen towards the right of the Temple.
The only thing left of the original Pylon is the foundations. Beyond the Pylon, there was once a staircase in the court that led to a roof terrace. The court has a columned portico and central altar. There is a scene of the King leaving his palace escorted by standards. Near the sanctuary is a purification scene. On either side of the door to the pronaos are columns inscribed with icons of the lotus (south) and papyrus (north), symbolizing the 'two lands' of Egypt.
 In the southwest corner of the pronaos is the one column that does not echo the duality of the temples. Here, there are scenes depicting the purification of the King, his coronation and his consecration of the Temple. The ceiling here has astronomical images.
The hypostyle hall has papyrus capitals on the columns, along with an inventory of the scared places of Egypt, the gods of the main towns and the local and national festivals.
In the anti chamber, there are scenes depicting the goddess Seshat launching the building of the temple, followed by a scene of the completed temple with the king taking part in a purification ceremony. The staircase leading to the roof is all that remains of the offering hall.
Tours including the Temple of Kom Ombo
| Tour |
Country |
Duration |
Price |
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| Splendours of the Nile |
Egypt |
9 or 10 days |
From UK£730 |
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Cairo, Aswan (Nile cruise) Luxor. This classic tour gives you the chance to experience Cairo’s best and most important sites, including the Pyramids, Sphinx and the world famous Egyptian museum before transferring to Aswan for a luxury cruise down the Nile to Luxor. You visit all the major sites en-route, and the tour has optional visits to Abu Simbel, Alexandria and the fascinating Valley of the Whales.
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| Nile Explorer |
Egypt |
9 or 10 days |
From UK£365 |
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Cairo, Aswan (felucca or luxury cruise) Luxor. This classic tour travels through the Nile Valley visiting Egypt's ancient sites and monuments. From the Pyramids
and Sphinx in Cairo, to the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple in Luxor, we take in all the main sites, and include a peaceful felucca ride or Nile cruise down
the Nile stopping at riverside temples and villages. The tour can be completed in one week.
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| Grand Egyptian Adventure |
Egypt |
15 days |
From UK£460 |
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Cairo, Aswan (felucca or luxury cruise) Luxor, Dahab. One of our most popular itineraries, this tour starts with visits to the Pyramids & Sphinx in Cairo, with an optional City & Museum tour. From Aswan, we take a peaceful felucca sailboat or luxury Nile cruise along the Nile to Luxor, where we explore temples & tombs on both banks of the river. The tour ends with time for you to relax at the beaches and cafes at Dahab, to snorkel or scuba-dive among the coral reefs of the Red Sea, and if you wish, to climb Mt. Sinai.
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| Classic Nile Cruise |
Egypt |
7 nights |
From UK£680 |
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Nile Cruise; Luxor - Aswan - Luxor. This classic Nile Cruise tour spends a week travelling up and down the River Nile between Aswan and Luxor, visiting all the major sites en-route. These include the Temple of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, the temples of Edfu and Komombo, and the island temple of Philae in Aswan, with a local option to visit the temples to Ramses at Abu Simbel. This is a private tour with one of our own Egyptologists on a 5-star deluxe level cruise boat (not joining with one of the large boat groups for the tours).
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| Egypt & Jordan Experience |
Egypt & Jordan |
16 days |
From UK£1,480 |
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Cairo, Aswan (Nile Cruise) Luxor, Mt. Sinai, Jordan. This tour covers all the main sites in Egypt and Jordan. Following visits to the Pyramids, Sphinx and a city tour in Cairo, we enjoy a luxury cruise along the Nile from Aswan to Luxor. We then head via Cairo and the Red Sea to Jordan for a jeep safari & Bedouin meal in Wadi Rum. From here we travel up the scenic King's Highway stopping to explore Petra, Kerak and Madaba, before finishing in Amman with a day trip to the Dead Sea and the Roman ruins at Jerash. |
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| Egypt Experience |
Egypt |
14 days |
From UK£980 |
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Cairo, Aswan (Nile cruise) Luxor, Red Sea. This deluxe 5-star tour gives you a comprehensive introduction to the main highlights Egypt
has to offer while staying in some of Egypt's best hotels. We see the Pyramids, Sphinx and famous Egyptian Museum in Cairo,
enjoy a luxury Nile Cruise between Luxor and Aswan, and finish
the tour with time to relax and enjoy the Red Sea at a beach resort
in Hurghada. |
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| Grand Egypt & Jordan Adventure |
Egypt & Jordan |
16 days |
From UK£940 |
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Cairo, Aswan (felucca or luxury cruise) Luxor, Dahab, Jordan. Following a tour to the Pyramids & Sphinx in Cairo, this tour visits the main highlights of the Nile Valley between Aswan and Luxor, featuring a peaceful felucca or luxury cruise along the Nile. After a stop by the Red Sea, we enter Jordan to see the stunning desert scenery of Wadi Rum, explore the ancient city of Petra, swim in the Dead Sea, and visit several other sites including the Roman ruins at Jerash. The tour starts in Cairo and finishes in Amman |
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| Pharaohs and Deserts |
Egypt |
15 days |
From UK£630 |
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Cairo, Aswan (felucca or luxury cruise) Luxor, Fayoum, Western Deserts. This tour combines Egypt's main historical sites and a felucca or luxury cruise in the Nile Valley, with two separate desert safaris. Around Fayoum we visit the Wadi Rayan protected area with its spring oasis and desert lake, and the World Heritage Site of the Valley of the Whales. In the Western Deserts, we visit the Baharya & Farafra oases and enjoy an overnight jeep safari in the spectacular White Desert. |
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| Jewels of the Nile |
Egypt |
15 days |
From UK£1,850 |
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Why not combine your favourite sport with a family holiday to remember. Spend
7 days fishing on Lake Nasser for the magnificent Nile Perch then head down the
Nile on a luxury cruise boats, enjoying all the comforts of a 5-star floating
hotel. This way the whole family stays happy! |
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