Edfu Temple of Horus day trip

The Temple of Horus at Edfu is one of the best-preserved shrines in Egypt and, for many visitors, the clearest picture they will ever get of what a complete Egyptian temple looked like. It stands on the west bank of the Nile in the town of Edfu, south of Luxor on the way to Aswan, and it can be visited on a day trip by road or as a stop on a Nile cruise.

The temple was begun on 23 August 237 BC under Ptolemy III and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII, so it took around 180 years to finish. It is dedicated mainly to the falcon god Horus, together with Hathor and their son Harsomtus, and is the largest temple dedicated to Horus and to Hathor of Dendera. The great pylon at the entrance rises about 36 metres, and the temple runs back for some 79 metres through courts and halls to the sanctuary.

Its excellent condition is partly thanks to the desert. Over the centuries the temple was buried by sand and river silt up to 12 metres deep, and only the tops of the pylons were visible when a French expedition identified it in 1798. Auguste Mariette began clearing it in 1860, and what emerged was a temple with its roof, walls and inner rooms largely intact.

The reliefs are full of stories. Some of the most famous show the Sacred Drama of the conflict between Horus and Seth, and others record a creation myth in which the temple is the place where the world began. Every year Hathor's statue travelled upriver from Dendera to Edfu for a festival celebrating her sacred marriage with Horus, a major pilgrimage in its time. Look out too for the Nilometer, used to measure the height of the river's annual flood.

Edfu works well for travellers who are not taking a cruise but want to see the great temples between Luxor and Aswan. The drive from Luxor takes a good part of the morning, so set out early with a private driver or tour, and consider combining it with other stops along the river. Allow around two hours at the temple, and bring a hat and water, as the forecourt is open to the sun.