Philae, Kom Ombo and Edfu2

~PHILAE, KOM OMBO AND EDFU~

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TEMPLE OF KOM OMBO

*~ THE ENERGIES*	~ *CAIRO*	~ *MEMPHIS, SAQQARA AND GIZA*
~ *ABU SIMBEL, ASWAN AND THE NILE*		~ *PHILAE, KOM OMBO AND EDFU*
~ *VALLEY OF THE KINGS, LUXOR AND KARNAK*		~ *ABYDOS AND DENDERA*
~ *MOUNT SINAI AND SAINT CATHERINE'S*		~ *BLACK, WHITE AND CRYSTAL DESERTS*

~KOM OMBO~

Our Nile cruise ship officially embarked for our journey northward after we returned from our visit to Philae. We had initially boarded the vessel at the dock to briefly settle into our room prior to visiting the sites of Aswan and the beautiful island of Philae. Upon returning to the ship I felt quite at home in our quiet and spacious cabin with its large patio door and inviting view. The thick fleece blanket on the bed again offered me a taste of exquisite luxury. It was wonderful to feel so comfortable.

I explored the ship during the cruise to our first formal desination, Kom Ombo, which we were to visit the next morning. The upper deck had a small pool and comfortable chaise lounges, but its immediate appeal to me was an amazing view of the Nile. I connected to the river and felt blissful and at peace as we gently floated upon her waters. It was mesmerizing to actually witness life along the river's banks. I took it in slowly, lulled by the ebb and flow of the ship’s motion, and the gentle energy of the Nile’s pastoral life.

I knew that the scenes enfolding along the Nile’s shores on this particular day looked and felt much like they had for eons. Farmers herded and planted as creatively fashioned scarecrows guarded the fields. Well tended cows basked in the shade contentedly, chewing their cud. Sacred ibis circled and spiraled the waters, ancient sentinels to the daily rituals of the Nile. The river was suddenly less distant and mysterious; it instantly became an icon that represented life, fertility, realized natural cycles, and the bond between humans, animals and nature. I felt welcomed home.

The visit to Kom Ombo rests in my mind as a bit of a blur. I believe I had taken in so much of Egypt and the Nile by this time that I was a bit overwhelmed and on the verge of mental exhaustion. With my mind in such an unusually quiet state, I was even more impacted by the energies that surrounded me. I do clearly remember at Kom Ombo the numerous images of Sobek, the crocodile god, as well as his falcon comrade Horus the Elder. They were repeated often throughout the complex. The riverside temple of Kom Ombo was dually dedicated to both of these ancient, human-animal deities.

KOM OMBO, DUALLY DEDICATED TO HORUS AND SOBEK

The honored status of the crocodile is ever evident at Kom Ombo. In addition to the numerous relief carvings of Sobek, many grotesque crocodile mummies were housed here, and some are still on display for curious tourists. Crocodiles were also found buried on the grounds in large numbers. They were apparently actually raised in a pool at the site, and these specimens may have been used in rituals.

An eerie and unique depiction on one of the temple’s walls is a varied collection of what is usually referred to as surgical instruments. I felt they were related to the mummification process somehow. Outside of the temple complex, the Nile city of Kom Ombo had an interesting historical function as a trading center, particularly of gold, and surprisingly, African elephants! We had a relatively short time at the site, and boarded our vessel for the journey to our next stop, Edfu.

KOM OMBO, MUMMIFIED CROCODILE

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