Temple of Kom Ombo

The Temple of Kom Ombo is a Ptolemaic-Roman-era temple on the east bank of the Nile at Kom Ombo in southern Egypt. It is notable for its unusual double design, with symmetrical sanctuaries and chapels dedicated to two sets of deities - Sobek the crocodile god and Haroeris (Horus the Elder).

Carved reliefs and inscriptions survive on the temple walls, and a small adjacent museum displays mummified crocodiles and related finds from the site. The temple’s reliefs also include depictions of surgical instruments and votive scenes.

Constructed mainly during the Ptolemaic dynasty with later Roman-era work, the complex served cultic and local administrative functions in antiquity and was maintained into the Roman period.

Kom Ombo stands on the Nile’s east bank in Aswan Governorate, between the city of Aswan and the town of Edfu, and is a common stop on Nile cruises.

• Double dedication: Built in the Ptolemaic period with later Roman additions, the temple’s symmetrical double design is unusual and clearly legible on site.
• Crocodile displays: A small museum beside the temple displays mummified crocodiles recovered locally and is often included in short visits along the Nile in the Aswan area.

What to See#

• Double temple plan: Double sanctuary layout with paired chapels and sanctuaries dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek on one side and Haroeris (Horus the Elder) on the other, built to mirror each other.
• Crocodile Museum: Small on-site museum/glass-fronted display holding several mummified crocodiles and artifacts recovered from the temple area.

The Temple of Kom Ombo is in the town of Kom Ombo on the Nile, north of Aswan. It is commonly reached by road from Aswan by taxi or local minibus (and is a regular stop on Nile cruises between Aswan and Luxor); the temple sits close to the town and is a short walk from the riverside road.

• Visit early in the morning or late afternoon to beat the cruise-ship crowds that stop at Kom Ombo midday; light at these times also enhances relief details on the temple façades.
• Approach from the Nile side if possible-walking along the riverbank gives better photo angles and a clearer sense of the temple's riverside position and twin plan than entering straight from the roadside parking.
• Don't miss the small adjacent Crocodile Museum and display of mummified crocodiles and local antiquities; it's a short detour from the main temple but often overlooked by pass-through visitors.