Travel in Idfu (Edfu) - Egypt - Middle East - History

Idfu was the Greek city of Apollinopolis Magna, and is a religious and commercial centre. Idfu was the capital of a predynastic upper Egyptian kingdom that flourished c.3400 B.C. and worshipped Horus. The ancient Egyptians knew this area as Tboth, and it has also been known through the ages as Atbo, Behdet and The Exaltation of Horus. The Temple of Horus, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, is located here.

The Temple of Horus is the main attraction here and it is considered by most to be the best preserved cult temple in Egypt, but there is a mound of rubble to the west of the Temple which is probably the original old city of Djeba. French and Polish teams have excavated some of the ancient city, finding Old Kingdom Mastabas and Byzantine house.

Idfu (Edfu) lays in south-central Egypt, on the Nile River. Located about 33 miles south of Isna (Esna) and 65 miles north of Aswan, Idfu is a friendly town and a hub of a road network. Today, it is a producer of sugar and pottery. (1986 pop. 45,737).

The Nile River is possibly the most famous river in history. It was by its banks that one of the oldest civilizations in the world began. Not surprisingly, the Nile teems with life. Many different types of animals, birds, and fish all call the Nile River home. Hundreds of years ago even hippos and lions could be found here in the Nile Valley.

The Nile, a lifeline connecting Upper and Lower Egypt, is also vivid with cultural scenes: the scattered villages, the feluccas sailing quietly, the boats laden with sugar canes, cotton bales or pottery of ancient design.