The other six are on my blog
Enjoy!
----
South yet again overnight to Kom Ombo, where there exists a temple of particular interest: it is split exactly 50-50 between the god Horus of Protection and the god Sobek of Evil. Protection and Evil worshipped equally? It sounds strange, but Sobek is a god represented by crocodiles, and the locals here, plagued by an unusual number of crocodiles even for the Nile river, decided if they were to worship the god of crocodiles equally with the great god of protection, perhaps the crocodiles would thus be placated and happy.
No interesting form of transportation for this one, as the temple was right next to the boat and maybe 1 minute on foot.
The temple and the stairs leading up to it.
The front of the temple. Most of the hieroglyphics are contained within, as well as at the back of the temple.
One of the more interesting features of the temple is contained in this shrine to the right of the main temple building...
...mummified crocodiles. In an attempt to placate the great god of evil Sobek, the priests of Kom Ombo would not only raise crocodiles on the Horus side of the temple, but they would also mummify them to ensure their passage to eternal life, much the same as they would a human being.
Further into the temple is this statue, which has been deliberately edited by the Romans in order to wear Roman garb.
Notice on this piece of artwork that the slaves have their faces carved out. This isn't deliberate such as the defacement of Tuthmosis to Hatshepsut's artwork, or the early Christians to the Egyptian gods, but these pictures were carved this way originally and deliberately, to emphasize the fact that the slaves of the king were mere possessions and no longer people.
One of the most important hieroglyphics in the temple of Kom Ombo in the rear of the temple. To the left is god Sobek, the crocodile god of evil, and to the right is the god Horus. Look at the middle: there is a line straight down. This line actually splits the temple in a perfect 50-50 between god Sobek and god Horus.
An offering of medical instruments to the god Imhotep, god of health and medicine. If you look closely at this offering, you will notice medical instruments that were "discovered" by Western medicine millenia later.
VERY important. Another medical offering to Imhotep, but look at the item the King is offering: it's a stethoscope! The stethoscope was supposedly "invented" by Americans in the 1800s, but in reality the Egyptians were using it two and a half thousand years ago or more!
Pillars that originally led to the inner sanctum. Most of the ceiling has been naturally destroyed, but originally this temple was, of course, completely enclosed.
----
next post....