The approach to this site from where the boats dock makes it clear why the crocodile-featured Sobek was one of the gods it is dedicated to (along with Horus). The connection to the power of the Nile is unmistakable as you look towards the temple. The importance of the town in the past was due to trade from further north in the Nile Valley passing through here to Nubia.
The remains of the ancient town are buried, but the temple complex was excavated and restored in the late 1800s and has many fascinating features among the reliefs. The symmetry of this site is something visitors interested in architectural planning will especially appreciate.
You can also visit the Crocodile Museum, which includes some impressive mummified crocodiles.
If you are specifically interested in crocodiles in Egypt, I suggest reading this article by Salima Ikram, Professor of Egyptology at The American University in Cairo: Crocodiles Guardians of the Gateways in Thebes and Beyond
© Dahabiya Nile Sailing Egypt 2025