Travel to Edfu

some of the most impressive hieroglyphs in Egypt

Edfu is a medium-sized town on the west bank of the River Nile in Egypt.

Lying around 80 km south of Luxor and 110 km north of Aswan, Edfu is a popular stop for cruise boats travelling along this stretch of the river.

Although the setting itself is pretty, surrounded by the rich irrigated agricultural land for which the area is renowned, the town of Edfu itself is a relatively ordinary place, which visitors rarely take time to explore.

The primary archaeological site lies around 500 metres back from the river, from which it is separated by the main body of the town. The most obvious highlight is the impressively well-preserved Temple of Horus (237-57 BC), with other older remains sharing the same site.

Places of interest

Although the vast majority of visitors to Edfu only spend a couple of hours visiting the Temple of Horus, there are some other sites that might interest more experienced Egyptologists.

The sites here are listed in chronological order:

Tell Edfu

Remains of an ancient settlement here in Edfu are situated just 50 metres to the southwest of the more obvious and recent Ptolemaic temple.

Although there’s not a great deal for the visitor to see, the site has revealed a great deal of archaeological information, determining that the original settlement here dates back to the Predynastic Period (before 3150 BC) and that the town really thrived during the Second Upper Egypt Period (First Intermediate Period, 2181-2055 BC), when it served as the regional capital.

The 20 metre high mound of Tell Edfu provides a complete archaeological sequence of occupation dating all the way up to the Graeco-Roman period (808BC-629AD).

Edfu South Pyramid

Around 5km south of Edfu stand the modest remains of an ancient step pyramid, now reduced to around 5.5 metres in height, which has been loosely attributed to King Huni of the Third Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (2650-2575BC).

Temple of Horus

The main site of interest in Edfu is the Temple of Horus, a substantial construction that was built during the period 237-57BC, into the reign of Cleopatra VII, during the Ptolemaic Dynasty.

The temple is in a remarkable state of preservation, with a massive entrance, colonnaded courtyards and underground passages, all adorned with rich hieroglyphics.

The temple is dedicated to the deity Noum, whose symbol is the disc of the sun, supported by two asps and the extended wings of a vulture. Reliefs show the progress of the Sun, Phre-Hor-Hat (Lord of Heaven), moving in his bark (boat) through the Circle of the Hours.

The local name of the district round Apollinopolis (the contemporary name for Edfu) was Hat, which led to Noum becoming known as Hor-hat-kah, shortened to Horus (whose name is thought to have inspired the word ‘hour’).

The beautifully executed sculptures were started during the reign of Ptolemy VI Philometor in 181 BC.

Apollonopolis Magna

During the Greek and Roman periods (808BC-629AD), the city was known as Apollonopolis Magna.

Under the Romans the city was home to Trajan’s Second Legion and its inhabitants were renowned Enemies of the Crocodile, worshipping a deity of that form.

The town later became a Christian bishopric which, although no longer active, remains listed as such by the Catholic Church.

Edfu is almost always visited as part of a river cruise between Luxor and Aswan. There are, therefore, very few accommodation options in the area.

A particular feature of a visit to Edfu is the horse-buggy ride from the riverbank to the main temple complex. A host of buggies, along with their horses and drivers, swarms the waterfront when cruise boats come into dock, ready to whisk visitors through six or seven blocks of city streets to the archaeological site.

This buggy experience greatly enhances what could otherwise be viewed as a relatively modest outing.

Presently, due to the poor treatment of horses and the aggressive behaviour of the carriage owners, increasing numbers of boat operators have been put off visiting the area.

a popular stop on a boat cruise from Luxor to Aswan