Temple of Edfu
Site, Abydos to Abu Simbel · also called Temple of Horus at Edfu, Edfu Temple, Behdet, Apollinopolis Magna
The Temple of Horus at Edfu is the most complete temple in Egypt, and almost every surface is inscribed. Its texts describe the temple itself, its rituals and the battle of Horus against Seth.
Edfu lies on the west bank of the Nile between Luxor and Aswan. The temple of the falcon god Horus was begun in 237 BC under Ptolemy III and finished in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII, nearly two centuries of building and carving that the walls themselves record.
Its roof, pylon and enclosure wall survive, so you walk through a temple as the priests knew it, from bright courtyard to dark sanctuary. Sand and later village houses buried much of it for centuries, which protected it until it was cleared in the 19th century.
Edfu's texts are a library in stone. They give the temple's measurements, the names of its rooms, the festivals held in it, and the books kept in its library. They are written in Ptolemaic hieroglyphs, with thousands of signs and many clever spellings, which makes Edfu a hard but rewarding place to read.
What to see and read
The pylon
Ptolemy XII smites enemies before Horus and Hathor. Two granite falcons guard the gate.
Court and hypostyle halls
Columns with varied plant capitals and walls of offering scenes, each label giving king, god and gift.
Sanctuary
A granite shrine of Nectanebo II, older than the temple around it, with a modern copy of the sacred boat.
Enclosure wall: Horus and Seth
On the inner face of the enclosure wall, Horus harpoons Seth in the form of a small hippopotamus, with long texts of the story.
Library
A small room by the hypostyle hall whose wall lists the titles of the books once kept there.
Signs to look for
- Falcon G5ḥr The falcon writes Horus, lord of this temple, in nearly every scene.
- Harpoon T21wꜥ The harpoon appears in the Horus and Seth reliefs on the enclosure wall.
- Sun N5rꜥ The sun disc writes Ra and is part of Horus Behdety, the winged disc over the doors.
- Cloth on a pole R8nṯr The cloth on a pole writes netjer, 'god', in nearly every column.
- Cartouche V10 Cartouches of the Ptolemies who built the temple line every wall.
Reading the hieroglyphs here
- Arrive early: Edfu is on every Nile cruise route and crowds come mid-morning.
- The corridor between the temple and the enclosure wall is quieter and has the best-lit long texts.
- Ptolemaic signs are small; photograph a column, then let Hiero Lens box the signs on the photo.
Point your camera at a wall Hiero Lens boxes the signs and names them, on your phone; nothing is uploaded. On worn stone, trace a sign over the photo.
Questions
Why is Edfu temple so well preserved?
It is late, finished in 57 BC, and was long buried by sand and village houses, which protected its roof and walls until it was cleared in the 19th century.
What do the Edfu texts say?
They describe the temple's building and rooms, its festivals and rituals, and myths of Horus, including his victory over Seth.
Who built Edfu temple?
It was begun in 237 BC under Ptolemy III and finished under Ptolemy XII, on the site of older temples to Horus.
Where it is
Open in OpenStreetMap · Written from published sources and not yet checked on site by our team: displays and open tombs change.