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Located in Northern Upper Egypt, this city was an important administrative capital from the end of the Old Kingdom to the end of the MiddleKingdom, and according to legend, was the site of a battle between the god Horus and the evil god Seth. Although some of the finds there were very old, includingcatacombs of sacred animals, the majority its archaeological remains date from the Roman era. Certainly the most impressive structure is the temple of Hathor,originally built much earlier but reworked and dedicated to the reign of Tiberius Caesar (14-37 CE). It features columns bearing the face of Hathor, as well asinscriptions of Cleopatra and her son Caesareon; numerous astrological and astronomical charts are engraved in the walls and ceilings as well. When Napoleonvisited the area he found an entire Arab village living inside the temple; evidence of their fires can still be seen on some of the ceilings.
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Alternative Names: Deir el Baḥari, Ḥôḍ el
Latitude/Longitude: 25° 20' 00" N/ 032° 34' 00" E
This location, situated in a natural rock amphitheater on the Western bank of the Nile, directly across from Karnak, and marking the entrance tothe Valley of Kings, is most known for the beautiful temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a pharaoh of the New Kingdom. However, remains of two other temples can be foundthere, as well as a number of private tombs. A shaft tomb was found to contain forty royal mummies from the 11th Dynasty, which had apparently been reinterred there by21st Dynasty priests. The mummies of priests were also found there. But Queen Hatshepsut’s temple is by far the most important aspect of the site, and thetemple’s beauty has been compared to the Parthenon. Its reliefs and paintings have been carefully restored.
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Alternative Names: Idfū Bahri; Idfu Bahari; Edfu; Edfou; Apollonopolis Magna
Latitude/Longitude: 24° 58' 00" N/ 032° 52' 00" E
Located in Upper Egypt on the west bank of the Nile, Idfū is home to an almost perfectly preserved temple dedicated to the gods Horus, his wifeHathor, and their son Harsomtus, built during the Ptolemaic era. Almost completely buried in sand until excavated in 1860, it has yielded inscriptions, many stillrevealing their color. A stunning statue of Horus as the falcon stands guard at the temple, which contained numerous rooms, some used for the mixing of magicalointments. Not only is this the best preserved temple in Egypt, it is also the second largest, after the temple at Karnak.
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