As one journeys upstream along the Nile River towards Aswan, one also moves along a timeline from early Egyptian history towards later Greek and Roman periods of occupation. This morning in Kom Ombo, for instance, we toured another temple dedicated in part to Horus the Elder (as well as to the crocidile-headed Sobek) constructed and expanded between the fourth century B.C. and the fourth century A.D. when Egypt was ruled by first the Greeks and later the Roman Empire.
Interestingly, although the influences of both foreign Mediterranean cultures are apparent, both the Greek and the Roman eras appear primarily identifiable as continuations of earlier Egyptian tradition. The temple at Kom Ombo honors Egyptian gods in a typical way using familiar motifs in an architectural setting also drawn from the past, even though much of the work was undertaken under Greek and Roman authorities. So far this is one of Lee's favorite sites -- very compact, quite photogenic and wonderfully lit in the morning sun.
We've spent the rest of the morning catching up on blog entries and photo edits, rummaging through the on-board shop's merchandise, and watching Egyptian rural life on the riverbank drift by in its seemingly endless and ever-changing variety.
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