Africa : North Africa : Egypt : Upper Egypt : Kom Ombo
Kom Ombo
Kom Ombo (Arabic: كوم أمبو) is a medium-sized Egyptian town in the region of Upper Egypt, located on the east bank of the river Nile some 65 km south of Edfu and some 50 km north of Aswan. Population 60,000.
Understand
Kom Ombo is an agricultural town, producing mostly irrigated sugar cane and corn, and unremarkable but for the unusual double temple of Ptolemaic date situated picturesquely high on its banks above the river Nile. The town has ancient origins, of which virtually nothing beyond the temple is to be seen today (awaiting excavation!)
Get in
- Take a felucca cruise on the Nile from Aswan
- Trains between Aswan and Luxor stop in Kom Ombo
Get around
See
- the Temple of Kom Ombo, admission LE 20 - an unusual dual Temple of Sobek and Haroeris dating to the reign of Ptolemy VI and part of that ruler's extensive building program. Earlier Pharaonic remains have been detected at the site, but little now remains of these. The temple suffered some damage in the earthquake of 1992 and has been closed until recently for two years' extensive renovation, at a cost of LE 15 million.
The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has announced (mid-April 2005) that the Kom Ombo temple will re-open to visitors in May 2005, visits now to be augmented by a museum / galleries devoted to the crocodile cult.
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Get out
This page was last edited at 15:07, on 8 June 2008 by Kevin Gabbert. Based on work by Colin Jensen, Wikitravel user(s) Merrywanderer and Pjamescowie and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.