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The Temple of Kom-Ombo |
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About half way between Luxor and Aswan lies the temple of
Kom Ombo. This temple is unusual as it consists of two adjacent
temples, each dedicated to a different god. One half is dedicated
to the crocodile god Sobek, and the other to Horus.
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The temple, built by the Ptolemys, is in a fairly good state
of preservation, with an unusually large amount of the original
colour still visible on the stonework.
The temples reliefs show the usual mixture of gods and rulers.
In this case Sobek, Hathor and Horus share the space with Ptolemaic
rulers such as Ptolemy XII and Roman emperors Tiberius and Domitian.
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One of the most striking reliefs in the temple shows
an offering of medical equipment to the deified Imhotep, architect
of the step pyramid at Saqqara.
This relief dates to the end of the second century AD, and
shows a remarkably high level of medical technology, with tweezers,
forceps and various other modern looking utensils clearly visible. |
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The temple of Kom Ombo was built quite late in Ancient
Egyptian history. This relief shows that the Cartouches were
cut, but no rulers name was ever inserted. |
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