The Temple of Horus at Edfu     El Templo de Horus a Edfu |
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A close-up of one of the granite falcons at the entrance to the temple. The small figure carved in front of Horus shows the king under the god's protection. On the wall behind the statue, Horus is represented wearing the double crown of Egypt. |
Horus wears the double crown of Egypt. The pharaoh was the manifestation of the living Horus in ancient Egypt. With numerous and varied roles, Horus could intercede on behalf of the King with the gods and bestowed power and divine kingship on the pharaoh. His wings represented the sky and his eyes the sun and the moon. "The eye of Horus" refers to the moon eye, which was lost in his battle with Seth, the god of chaos and confusion, who had murdered his father Osiris. Once the eye was recovered, it was presented to Osiris to aid in his resurrection. |
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![]() | Close-up of relief showing King bearing offerings. this also shows the damage done to the relief by the Coptic Christians in their efforts to eradicate the works of the ancient religion. |
The sanctuary of Horus contains the polished granite shrine or naos that once housed a gilded statue of Horus. The shrine was made from a single block of grey granite and was dedicated by Nectanebo II, who usurped the Egyptian throne in 360 AD away from the son of Nectanebo I. It is thus the temple's oldest relic. Temple priests would have cared for the statue, washing, anointing and dressing it, keeping it fed and entertained. The statue itself disappeared in ancient times. |
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