The temple of Kom Ombo is located to 30 miles (48 km) north of Aswan and was built during the Graeco Roman period. Kom Ombo is an unusual double temple built during the rule Ptolemaic dynasty. However one side of the temple is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world. The other side is dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris, also known as Horus the Elder.

Usually the temples reliefs show the usual mixture of rulers and gods.

In this case Sobek, Hathor and Horus share the space with Ptolemaic rulers such as Ptolemy XII and Roman emperors Tiberius and Domitian. Sobek is associated with the wicked god Seth, who was the enemy of Horus. In that time in the Horus myth the allies of Seth made their escape by changing themselves into crocodiles.

However the Sobek’s chief sanctuary was at Kom Ombo, where there were numbers of crocodiles. But in recent times the Egyptian Nile was infested with these ferocious animals, who would lay on the riverbank and devour animals and humans alike. So it is not surprising that the local inhabitants went in fear.

Today, much of the temple of Kom Ombo has been destroyed by the Nile, earthquakes, and later builders who used the stones for other projects. Also some of the reliefs inside were defaced by Copts who once used the temple as a church.

Other Attractions:
• The Temple of Philae
• The Temple of Edfu