Kom Ombo

Those on the ancient Egyptian history trail making their way north from Aswan, or south from Luxor along the Nile should definitely make a stopover between the looming temple facades and riverside pantheons of Kom Ombo, for they are hailed as some of the most unusual and illuminating religious remnants of the Ptolemaic age. Your Kom Ombo tourist guide will tell you that this famous temple has the peculiarity of being a double temple. The dusty rises of the Sobek and Haroeris worshipping house have retained their architectural magnificence, and visitors can look forward to exploring its monolithic colonnades, murals and figures depicting life in those times, the Nilometer used to measure the level of the great river, and even the mummified reptile remains in the Crocodile Museum nearby. Originally known as the “City of Gold”, today’s modern day small town is blessed with fertile alluvial plains, and anyone looking forward to taking in the local vibes of Upper Egypt can mingle with the regional sugar cane farmers and cattle grazers that descend on town for market days, while enjoying the picturesque vistas of the Nile as it meanders northwards.