What is so special about the temple in Edfu?

What is so special about the temple in Edfu?

It is one of the best preserved shrines in Egypt. The temple was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth and religion during the Hellenistic period in Egypt.

Why was the Temple of Horus at Edfu built?

The temple was built on top of much older ruins dating back to Ramses III, and was constructed over the course of 180 years under a variety of rulers during the Ptolemaic period in Egypt. The temple itself is dedicated to the worship of the Egyptian god Horus, who was frequently merged with the Greek god Apollo.

Is the Temple of Horus at Edfu part of Necropolis?

Temple of Horus at Edfu, Egypt. The provincial town of Edfu has one of the best preserved cult temples in Egypt. An important settlement, necropolis and uniquely well preserved temple of Horus, ‘Throne of Horus’. The present building replaces several earlier structures, of which little is known.

What is in Edfu Egypt?

The town is known for the major Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 BC and 57 BC, into the reign of Cleopatra VII. Of all the temple remains in Egypt, the Temple of Horus at Edfu is the most completely preserved.

What called hieroglyphics?

The word hieroglyph literally means “sacred carvings”. The Egyptians first used hieroglyphs exclusively for inscriptions carved or painted on temple walls. Hieroglyphics are an original form of writing out of which all other forms have evolved. Two of the newer forms were called hieratic and demotic.

What was the purpose of the Temple of Horus?

This Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Preserved by desert sand, which filled the place after the pagan cult was banned, the temple is dedicated to Horus, the avenging son of Isis and Osiris.

How big is the Temple of Horus at Edfu?

451 feet
The chief monument of ancient Idfū is the great sandstone temple of Horus, 451 feet (138 metres) long and 250 feet (76 metres) wide, standing on the site of an earlier temple of the 18th-dynasty (1567–1320 bce) period.

Why did Egypt stop using hieroglyphics?

The rise of Christianity was responsible for the extinction of Egyptian scripts, outlawing their use in order to eradicate any link with Egypt’s pagan past. They assumed that hieroglyphs were nothing more than primitive picture writing…

What era did hieroglyphics?

The hieroglyphic script originated shortly before 3100 B.C., at the very onset of pharaonic civilization. The last hieroglyphic inscription in Egypt was written in the 5th century A.D., some 3500 years later. For almost 1500 years after that, the language was unable to be read.

What is the Temple of Horus made out of?

sandstone
The Temple of Horus at Edfu has a massive entrance pylon covered with sunk relief carvings which were originally brightly painted. Constructed of sandstone, this Ptolemaic temple was built between 237 and 57 B.C.E.

Was Anubis evil?

Anubis, easily recognizable as an anthropomorphized jackal or dog, was the Egyptian god of the afterlife and mummification. He helped judge souls after their death and guided lost souls into the afterlife. Therefore, Anubis was not evil but rather one of the most important gods who kept evil out of Egypt.

What was the roof of the Edfu temple made of?

In addition, the roof of the temple has been decorated with stone grooves on the shapes of lions. The temple of Edfoun consists of two similar parts separated by a door. The temple contains large openings that were excavated by Christian individuals to escape the oppression of the Roman kings during the rule of Egypt.

Why was the Edfu Temple in Aswan chosen?

The temple and the Nile River connect a small underground river channel, which was used as a measure of the flood of the Nile River in the past. The site of the temple was chosen as a political goal of the Pharaohs kings to establish control over the south of the country.

Where did the town of Edfu get its name?

Its name is derived from the ancient Edbo; it means ‘The Town of the Piercing’ and refers to the triumph of Horus over Set. There is evidence of occupation in Edfu from pre-dynastic times through to the end of the Roman period. The temple of Horus, however, is entirely Ptolemaic.

Why was the temple of Edfu not perpendicular to the Nile River?

In contrast to most of the Egyptian temples in the Nile Valley, that of Edfu is not oriented perpendicularly to the river, a particularity which explains why the processional route which linked it with the Nile, did not prolong the axis of the temple as was mostly the case.