The Nile River is 6,650 km or 4,132 miles long. The only larger river is the Amazon, which is 7,062 km or 4,400 miles in length. An excellent way to travel Egypt is to take a river trip down the Nile. Take some binoculars to spot the many birds that live on the river and its banks. Egypt is also on the migratory path of hundreds of bird species, and millions of birds pass through each winter on their way south and return each summer.
About half way between Luxor and Aswan is Edfu and The Temple of Horus. The main tourist spots are Cairo and Luxor; fewer tourists come further south to this part of Egypt. Crowds can be avoided by visiting the temples and monuments early in the morning. It’s best to be there as soon as the gates open to visitors. It is a wonderful experience to wander through the ancient monuments with only a handful of fellow tourists.
The Temple of Horus is huge, something akin to a large cathedral. Buried under the sand for centuries the temple is well preserved. It is a magical place and its hieroglyphs and statues seem like a giant newspaper proclaiming ancient news to the world. Every stone wall and pillar is covered in pictures and writing. The Pharaoh Ptolemy, who was Greek, built this vast temple. He used it to convince his subjects that he was the rightful ruler descended from the god Horus. It seems his strategy was to cover the place with plenty of propaganda to assert his dynasty.
Just a little further south down the Nile is Kom Ombo and its temple. The temple at Kom Ombo is often quite empty too. It is located right on the banks of the Nile and in the afternoon light it is simply beautiful. There is a very unique hieroglyphic of a woman giving birth in the temple; a must see. Feral cats fill the place. It is easy to imagine they were descendents of ancient Egyptian cats. They still slink around the stones much like their ancestors must have thousands of years ago.
Join me in my next article as we continue our travels down the Nile.
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