The stunning Temple of Edfu, erected in honor of the deity Horus and set on a hill overlooking the Nile, is said to be the best preserved of all the temples from Ancient Egypt. Horus, the falcon god, is worshipped by it. The Ptolemaic Kingdom’s construction of the Temple of Horus at Edfu between 237 and 57 BC is frequently regarded as the Ancient Egyptian site with the best preservation. Over 40 feet (12 meters) of desert sand and silt from the Nile covered the structure for 200 years, which in some strange way, helped preserve it and keep it in perfect shape. The location of the Temple of Edfu was unearthed in the nineteenth century by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette after being hidden behind sand and silt for many years. The complex is one of Egypt’s best-preserved historical landmarks; the building’s architecture is still mostly intact, with several visible inscriptions on its walls.
The tower is filled with statues of Horus, one of Egypt’s most revered ancient deities. Its rich wall engravings have provided historians with crucial information about the Hellenistic period of Egyptian history. We may learn about religion, mythology, and the way of life of the period through the magnificent reliefs.
Brief History
Built from 237 – 57 BCE | Temple of Edfu
The Temple was erected in Egypt during the Ptolemaic period for 180 years under many different kings, on top of much earlier remains that date back to Ramses III. Each pharaoh during this time represented a period of Greek authority; they were all sprung from Ptolemy, an army leader who ruled the area a few decades before the Temple was built. However, the Temple generally lacks Hellenistic influences and is an embodiment of classic ancient Egyptian design.
The Horus temple was primarily founded during the Ptolemaic period. The Temple was formally inaugurated on September 10, 142 BCE, in front of Ptolemy VIII, the King, with his queen. The first stone was cast on August 23, 237 BCE. The pronaos, pylon, and adjoining wall work were resumed in 140 BCE. However, it wasn’t until 56 BCE, following the Temple’s second dedication in 70 BCE, that the colossal entrance carved of Lebanon willows was set in place.
Futility in the Roman era
Following Theodosius I’s persecution of pagans, The Temple of Edfu was abandoned as a place of worship. Many temple-engraved reliefs were demolished, as they had been elsewhere, by Christians who subsequently overran Egypt. It is said that the darkened ceiling (inspect) of the hypostyle hall, which is still prevalent today, was set ablaze with the goal of destroying religious iconography that wasn’t the era seen as heathen.
Discovery | Temple of Edfu
Over the years, layers of Nile-deposited river silt and sweeping desert sand buried the Temple to a level of 12 meters (39 feet). Over the grounds of the old Temple, locals constructed residences. A French Egyptologist titled Auguste Mariette began the work of removing the sands from the Edfu temple in 1860. By the time a French team located the Temple in 1798, only the topmost portions of the temple pylons had remained visible.
Architecture During the Ptolemaic Period
The “Sacred Drama” is described in a number of the inscriptions discovered at the Edfu temple. The plot centers on the fight between Seth, the Egyptian desert god, and Horus, the god of the lush Egyptian areas close to the Nile, as Horus seeks retribution for his father’s death, Osiris. The ancient Egyptians had a ceremonial reenactment of this tale at the temple complex every year.
The First Pylon | Temple of Edfu
Ptolemy IX, whom his brother overthrew, began building the entry pylons, and Ptolemy XII) finished them. Ptolemy XII adorned the pylons with images of himself slaying the foe. Each of the towers features a slightly different Ptolemy XII cartouche. Two sculptures of Horus encircle the entrance gate as a falcon. At the bottom of the walls on either side of the entry, beneath the tower, are scenes commemorating the “Feast of the Beautiful Meeting,” during which Horus of Edfu and Hathor of Dendera were joined.
Several rows of tall reliefs showing the Pharaoh conversing with the gods or with the victorious deity Horus covering the colonnade’s rear walls (inspect). The Temple is covered in numerous recurring images of the same kind. The Pharaoh is depicted on the sides of the tower entering the Temple and receiving the water of consecration from Horus and Thoth, wearing the Lower Egyptian crown on the western edge and the Upper Egyptian crown on the east side.
Court of Offerings
Thirty-two majestic columns surround the spacious first peristyle court; an altar initially stood here. The walls of the golden-hued stone building are painted with exemptions of the gods Horus and Hathor, and the columns are lavishly adorned with blossom and palm capitals.
The lone black granite figure of Horus, likely one of a pair formerly erected just to the left of the Vestibule entrance, wears the Egyptian double crown and keeps a monitor over the door to the darkest layers of the Temple.
Hypostyle Vestibule
Twelve columns with ornate decorative capitals are used to embellish the entryway in the hypostyle. Four rows of carved reliefs depicting Pharaoh Euergetes giving sacrifices to the gods or engaging in ritualistic actions may be discovered on the walls. A band of astronomical representations may be seen above, along with an artistic frieze that displays the pharaoh’s names and is protected by two falcons. Euergetes, his wife Cleopatra, and a long line of local gods are below, slightly above the floor, bringing offerings to the three main gods of Edfu.
Inner Sanctuary
Nine chapels surround the Temple’s main sanctuary, which has a restored naos of Nectanebo II, a remnant of an older structure. The Edfu Temple’s holiest of holies was this inner sanctuary illuminated by three roof openings. The granite naos contained the golden statue of Horus that was kept there. The golden figure of Hathor would have been carried atop this wooden bark during processions and festivals (the original is on exhibit at the Louvre in Paris).
Inscriptions and Reliefs | Temple of Edfu
The written construction documents of the Temple, in particular, “give specifics [both] of its construction and also preserve information concerning the legendary interpretation of this and all other temples as the Island of Creation.” Essential details about Egypt’s language, mythology, and religion during the Hellenistic era are revealed by the inscriptions on the building’s walls. Reminders and significant events from the Sacred Drama pertaining to the long-running war between Horus and Seth are also present. The German Edfu-Project translates them.
The Temple is one of the most famous archaeological sites because of its many remarkable features. The EDFU Temple is the jewel in the crown of a fantastical, enchanted metropolis where a legend from the past somehow came to life over a celestial marvel.
References-
https://egyptianmuseum.org/explore/greco-and-roman-period-monuments-edfu-temple
https://madainproject.com/temple_of_horus_(Edfu)
