Between Aswan and Luxor is Edfu, home to the Temple of Edfu, a well-preserved and significant ancient temple to see when visiting Egypt.
Located on the west bank of the Nile River, it is one of the few ancient buildings with its roof intact. This wondrous building is 36m high and can be reached by cruising the Nile River, then taking a bus or even a horse and carriage from the riverbank up to the temple itself.
Edfu Temple’s significance
This ancient temple was a place of worship for the Ptolemaic Pharaohs, built from sandstone and dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god). Ancient Egyptians believed the temple was built right where the infamous battle of Horus and Seth took place.
Edfu, Egypt by Amie Bunnik
Edfu Temple is an awe-inspiring building displaying Greek influences and traditional Egyptian architecture. The temple has stood for centuries on the west bank of the Nile River.
History of Edfu Temple
Edfu Temple, Egypt by Kristen Bertram
Construction of the temple began in 246-221 BC during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes I and was completed 180 years later in 80-51 BC during the reign of Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysus, Cleopatra VII’s father.
The temple’s design, scale and layout align with Pharaonic architectural traditions which were already archaic at the time of construction.
For thousands of years, the temple was buried under settlement debris, preserving the architectural and decorative elements until it was uncovered in the 1860s by French archaeologist Auguste Mariette who oversaw restoration of parts of the temple.
Edfu Temple faces north-south and appears to have been built over an earlier temple oriented east-west.
Walking through Edfu Temple
Edfu Temple faces south, extending north just over 140m with an area of around 7000 square metres. The entrance is a magnificent gate where two 36m high towers once held cedar doors. On each side of the facade, two depressions mark the place which once supported 40m wooden flagpoles adorning the temple entrance.
Entrance and forecourt
Staircases lead to the temple’s roof, passing by four storeys of chambers and storerooms inside the pylons. Inside the temple gates, a large paved courtyard is bordered on three sides by 32 columns. The courtyard walls are decorated with scenes from the Feast of Joyous Union, another momentous festival in Edfu’s ancient calendar. In the forecourt is also evidence of the temple that stood at this site before the Temple of Edfu.
Edfu, Egypt by Megan Pearce
Temple of Horus, Egypt by Annelieke Huijens
An Egyptologist will explain that these prior temples may date back as far as 1773-1650 BCE, around the time of Dynasty 13, bearing the names of King Djehuty and Psamtik II as well as Ramesside kings from Dynasty 19 and 20. It’s truly fascinating that history should remain so intact after so long, a testament to the durability of the Egyptian building techniques and the preservation of the temples under sand.
Outer and Inner Hypostyle Halls
Two statues of Horus carved from a single block of Aswan granite guard the outer Hypostyle hall, a room with a roof supported by rows of columns. The ceiling is adorned with astronomical imagery, depicting the night sky and beyond.
This area was typically closed to the public, with access only during particular festivals. Adjoining the left is the House of Mourning, where priests undertook ritual purification before entering deeper into the temple. To the right was the House of Books, a library storing religious and scientific texts and papyri used in rituals and festivals. A catalogue of contents is engraved on the walls of the room.
Continuing on, the inner Hypostyle Hall is a smaller room marking the beginning of ‘naos’, the most sacred area of the temple. The floor level begins to rise and the ceiling lowers from here towards the sanctuary.
Temple of Horus, Egypt by Megan Pearce
Three side rooms include the Room of the Nile, where water for purification was stored; the Laboratory, where unguents and perfumes used in rituals were made; and the Treasury, which stored amulets and objects of precious metals and gemstones that would adorn statues of the gods during ritual and festival.
Court of Offerings and Vestibule
Edfu Temple, Egypt by Megan Pearce
Next is the narrow Court of Offerings, with walls decorated with purification and offering scenes, depicting the gifts of food and oil offerings burned in this room, whose aroma and smoke were thought to provide sustenance to the god of Horus.
Before entering the most sacred area of the temple, the Vestibule is a transitionary room with two staircases on either side to access a roof that was once used for ceremonies.
Sanctuary and Chapels
Temple of Horus, Egypt by Paul Cook
These rooms culminate at the Sanctuary, the most sacred part of the Temple of Horus. The frame of the bronze door is inscribed with hymns sung in the morning to wake Horus and other deities sleeping in their chapels before the doors were opened for the day.
A permanent shrine made of black granite at the rear of the Sanctuary dates back to Nectanebo II, 360-343 BCE, a remnant of an older temple of Horus on this site. This shrine would hold the wooden statue of a falcon, the sacred image of Horus.
Thirteen chapels with side chambers surround the sanctuary. Each has details of the god or goddess it once held inscribed on the door jamb or lintel.
Nilometer
A flight of stairs leads from inside the temple enclosure, under the wall and outside to the temple’s water supply. This well had a dual purpose, supplying water for purification rites and serving as a Nilometer to measure the height of the annual Nile flood. A scale carved on the wall provided numerical data on the rise of the water table.
Ancient festival traditions at Edfu Temple
This fascinating temple was built with purpose and passion, recreated and rebuilt over centuries to provide a central coming together of ancient peoples for festivals, rituals and ceremonies. Two of the ceremonies at this temple marked important times of the calendar.
Festival of the Living Falcon
The Festival of the Living Falcon was an annual celebration to re-establish the pharaoh's kingship and authority by crowing the sacred falcon. The festival began with the transport of the main statue of Horus from the Temple of Horus to the Temple of the Sacred Falcon, an outer temple that no longer exists but is thought to be located east.
Living sacred falcons were bred and raised in this temple, representing both Horus and the reigning pharaoh. As the statue of Horus reaches the Temple of the Sacred Falcon, an oracle chooses a living falcon as the heir of Horus, displayed to watchers and transported to the Temple of Horus for its coronation. As the statue of Horus returns to the Temple of Horus, celebrations and festivities begin for the watching crowds.
Feast of Joyous Union
Carved on the walls of the Temple of Edfu’s forecourt are images that show the Festival of Joyous Union, a celebration of the sacred marriage between Horus of Edfu and Hathor of Dendera. This festival spanned 15 days, beginning with the arrival of the statue of the goddess Hathor, arriving from a 14-day boat journey from Dendera.
Celebrations were a time of feasting, drinking, visiting the burial mounds of ancestors across the desert and rites carried out within and around the temple. On the 14th day, the statue of Hathor embarked on the return journey by boat to Dendera, amidst splendid ceremony and ostentatious display.
Visit Edfu Temple with guidance from an Egyptologist
One of many things to do near Aswan, a visit to this well-preserved ancient building is one to include on a trip to Egypt. Travelling through Egypt with a small group means a more personalised experience, with opportunities to build lasting memories and friendships.
Explore the wonders of Egypt with guidance from an Egyptologist for the opportunity to delve into ancient cultures, and explore the traditions, religions, beliefs and enduring architecture of this fascinating country.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Temple of Edfu important?
Built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC, this temple is one of the best preserved in Egypt. Inscriptions on the walls provided key insights into language, myth and religion during the Hellenistic period in Egypt.
Which god is the Temple of Edfu for?
The Temple of Edfu was built for the god Horus, god of the midday sun. Horus was perpetually locked in battle with Set, god of storms and confusion, to ensure the sun would rise each day. Horus is represented as a winged sun disc, a lion or a hawk, or a combination of lion and hawk in carvings and paintings.
What is the spiritual meaning of Edfu Temple?
Edfu Temple displays the classic propaganda of a pharaoh holding his enemies before the god falcon Horus who is poised to smash the enemy skulls. The Court of Offerings contains depictions of fertility celebrations when Horus and Hathor were magically united, and the halls contain all that is necessary to make offerings to the gods.