This temple complex, right on the bank of the river Nile is a wonderful place to visit which houses a temple with amazing architectural marvels displaying various knowledge of the Egyptians of a bygone era. Nearby there is a Crocodile museum with mummies of various crocodiles believed to be part of the temple.
The name Kom Ombo is derived from the ancient Egyptian site of Ombos, derived from the ancient Egyptian word “nwbt”, which means gold. In ancient Egypt, this city was important because it controlled the routes of the commercial caravans that went to Nubia through the valley of the Nile. That’s why all the powers that once controlled the country, kept a military fortification in Ombos (Kom Ombo).
The outer passage, which runs around the temple walls, is unusual. Here, on the left-hand (northern) corner of the temple’s back wall, is a puzzling scene, which is often described as a collection of ‘surgical instruments’. It seems more probable that these were some of the accouterments used during the temple’s daily rituals, although the temple was certainly a place of healing, the nearest thing to an ancient hospital.
Near the Ptolemaic gateway on the southeast corner of the complex is a small shrine to Hathor, while a small mammisi (birth house) stands in the southwest corner. Beyond this, to the north, you will find the deep well that supplied the temple with water, and close by is a small pool in which crocodiles, Sobek’s sacred animal, were raised.
The path out of the complex leads to the new Crocodile Museum. It's well worth a visit for its beautiful collection of mummified crocodiles and ancient carvings, which is well lit and well explained. The museum is also dark and air-conditioned, which can be a blessing on a hot day.
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