Aswan Chronicles : Day Two “Edfu”

You can check my second day in Aswan chronicles earlier in Kom Ombo here.
This chronicle was written on February 9,2012, in Aswan.

Hours later, we headed to the magnificent temple of Edfu in the city of Edfu, the biggest city in Aswan. 

You go to the temple in carts. 

The city is calm, clean and quiet as I can tell. 

The Muslim Brotherhood has a headquarters in the heart of the city's market, the most active part of it.

 

A Horse Cart driver in Aswan's Edfu

The Edfu temple is the second biggest and most preserved temple in Egypt after the Karnak temple in Luxor; again, it was built by the Ptolemaic in Egypt. 

Check the crowns at the top of its pillars; they are different from each other, unlike in Egyptian temples.
Below are over 100 photos of the amazing temple. I swear, if I had had more time, I would have taken more pictures.

It is the second most preserved because it is away from the Nile; it was not that well-preserved from that group of radical early Christians who again removed the pictures of ancient Egyptian gods.

The Black ceiling in Egypt's Temple of Edfu

The ceiling of the temple is covered in black coz of two theories : (1) The early radical Christians tried to burn it, or (2)The early Christians who lived in it for some time and used vegetable oil candles.
It is not that preserved from pigeons' poop !! 

Fences in Egypt's Temple of Edfu in Aswan

The pigeons' poop allegedly had dangerous effects on the temple and its buildings; thus, we have these fences to stop the pigeons from using the temple as their nests as much as possible. 

Still, the temple still has it with all its rooms, stairs and even the colours in some areas.

The Colours of Egypt's Temple of Edfu in Aswan

The sanctuary at the temple is there, and you can find the pedestal where that statue of Horus from thousands of years ago was. 

The sanctuary of Egypt's Temple of Edfu in Aswan

There is a replica that goes back to the early 20th century, representing a barque of Horus that would have sat in the sanctuary.

The stairs in the temple are amazing.

 

The staircase in Egypt's Temple of Edfu, Aswan

Very few tourists, mostly from Japan and more Egyptian tourists who are really amazed at their grand ancestors’ temple. 

The women employees in the temple are angry with their boss coz she wants them to work an extra hour," instead of 1 pm, they have to work to 2 pm !!" because they cannot find any means of transportation to the city at that time outside the temple.

The temple is beside the Edfu cemeteries.

I have been to Aswan and Edfu. Aside from the ACAB graffiti in the city of Aswan, nobody is interested in strikes but is interested in restoring tourists.

 
The rest of the day will be on board a Nile cruise till we reach Isna lock channel to leave Aswan and head to Luxor in the North.