Edfu

Edfu is a substantial market town and traveling by horse drawn carriages is the most convenient way to visit the temple from where our dahabiya docks. We use the carriages as there has been improvement in treatment of the horses and using the carriages supports the local economy, and also ensures these horses will be better fed and looked after. Guests should keep in mind that Arabian horses are different in build to European horses, they may seem thinner but this is not necessarily due to lack of food or care. We try to ensure the drivers treat the horses well, but if you have any concerns about this please mention it to your guide.

The Temple of Horus is a highlight for many people on their visit to Egypt. It is in excellent condition, partially because its construction began in the 2nd Century BC under Ptolemaic rule. It was built on the site of a smaller New Kingdom temple. It was dedicated to Horus and to Hathor of Dendera.
From the grand entrance and through the courtyard you are awed by its scale, but the massive walls and an abundance of hieroglyphs are only part of this temple’s attraction. In the inner temple, the hypostyle hall and in the sanctuary you will feel the many different moods of this constructed space.  

Seeing the temple now, it is interesting to realize that it was buried until a few hundred years ago, with excavation started in the mid 19th Century. This helped to protect the temple so we are fortunate to see it in such excellent preservation. View Tell Edfu to the West of the temple, which includes houses dating from the Old to New Kingdom. If time allows we also stroll through the local market. If time allows, we will also walk through the local market.