Kom ombo , an ancient city located on a sandy bank where crocodiles used to bask, owes its existence to its strategic position on the Nile and its role as a crucial stop on the caravan routes from Nubia to Egypt, where gold, copper, camels, and African elephants were traded.
Though it gained significance during Ptolemaic times, its rise to prominence happened with the construction of the Temple of Kom Ombo in the 2nd century BC.
This temple is unique because it has two identical entrances, two linked hypostyle halls, and twin sanctuaries dedicated to two different gods: Haroeris or Horus the Elder, a falcon-headed god, and Sobek, the crocodile god.
Although older structures were discovered on the site, the main temple was built by Ptolemy VI Philometer and decorated by Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (80-58 BC and 55-51 BC).
