Edfu, Nile River, Egypt
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Caretakers at the Temple of Horus,
Edfu, Egypt.
Photo: Cruise Captain |
The caretakers in
this photo were skulking in the shadows dressed in colour-coordinated long
robes and turbans, as if playing bit parts in some period movie. I was
immediately taken by their lined faces, full of character, and by the fact that
slanting light was coming down from the ceiling and illuminating them like
biblical figures. They sat on rickety wooden chairs and spent the time shouting
“No flash! No flash!” at visitors, or alternatively, “Who flash? Who flash?”
when a flash went off. They were guarding two exquisite small rooms inside the
Temple of Horus covered in wall paintings depicting the pharaohs and gods. The
colours are delicate and fading, though you can still see the washed-out greens
and reds of 2,000 years ago. The caretakers didn’t seem to mind being
photographed and, remarkably, didn’t even ask for baksheesh.
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Temple of Horus, Edfu, Egypt.
Photo: Egyptian Tourist Authority |
Edfu is a bustling
little centre for sugar and pottery production on the banks of the Nile north
of Luxor. It’s a stopover for river-cruise ships plying the Nile between Luxor
and Aswan, and one that's a Captain Rivers favourite. As tourists disembark, touts
go into overdrive, hawking mini obelisks and cats and masks of Tutankhamen.
Calash drivers prod their horses into action: “Temple of Horus! Twenty pounds
sir! Come, come!” and off you clip-clop.
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Granite statue of the gold Horus,
Temple of Horus, Edfu, Egypt.
Photo: Cruise Captain |
You approach the
temple from the rear through a glut of T-shirt and postcard shops, buy a ticket
from a little wooden shed if you have to (most cruise lines include them) and
straggle across a dusty courtyard. Then the majesty of ancient Egypt takes
over. The Temple of Horus is a vast project that occupied the reigns of six
Ptolemies and was formally dedicated in 142 BC. The gateways are flanked by
brooding statues of falcons in black granite (Horus is the bird-headed god of
the sun). At the core of the complex, the Hypostyle Hall has soaring pillars
ending in frothy representations of papyrus buds. If you visit, bring a torch
to study the interior, because there are colourful reliefs and hieroglyphs
everywhere. And don’t forget your camera, because sometimes the most ordinary
encounters make the best of photos…
If you’ve been to the Temple of Horus and feel you
have something to add, please do so. Our readers appreciate your comments or memories.
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