Kom Ombo Temple in Egypt

Situated snugly on the East Bank of the Nile, just outside a small agricultural town that bears the same name, the Temple of Kom Ombo is unique in paying equal homage to two separate gods, both with their own dedicated half of the complex. The western portion is dedicated to Haroeris, or “Horus the Elder”, while the eastern half celebrates the crocodile god Sobek, whose image in relief is equally recognisable and atmospheric as the falcon Horus and the jackal Anubis. Astonishingly, the temple is completely symmetrical along its main axis, which splits twin entrances, two shared hypostyle halls and separate sanctuary chambers for each deity.

Dating from the Ptolemaic period, like so many of Egypt’s classic sites, Kom Ombo is not one of the larger temples on the regular circuit, and can be comfortably explored in an hour to ninety minutes. Highlights include the well-preserved friezes and reliefs, again split down the middle to represent both gods, and some impressive, highly photogenic papyrus-shaped columns. There is now a Crocodile Museum next to the main temple site, housing close to 300 mummified crocodiles, and for many visitors, the temple really comes to life when illuminated by moonlight after dark. All of the major cruises visit, some during the day and others by night, which unfortunately means its riverside location acts as both a blessing and a curse, with numerous vessels docked in front of the temple at virtually any time of the day. For those transiting overland between Aswan and Luxor, a visit to Kom Ombo is usually combined with a stop at the Temple of Edfu.