Edfu
Edfu (Arabic إدفو, DMG IDFU; Coptic ATBO ) is an approximately 128,000 inhabitants ( Calculation: 2010) scoring Upper Egyptian city on the west bank of the Nile, about 100 kilometers north of Aswan and 85 kilometers south of Luxor. Since 1969, a bridge in the north of the city connects both sides of the Nile. The name of Edfu is derived from the ancient Egyptian name Djeba.
Area of Edfu is dominated by agriculture, but the city 's residents live in essentially from ancient pottery industry. In addition, the city is a commercial center with some sugar factories. Edfu is known for standing on the western outskirts of the ruins of the so-called temple of Horus. The building is considered one of the best preserved temple in Egypt.
Location
Edfu is located in the southern part of Egypt in the fertile Nile Valley, 115 kilometers north of Lake Nasser. Around the city were extended on both sides of the river to a length of about 25 kilometers up to 25 kilometers wide by irrigation agricultural land. These are presented in the east the Arabian Desert, in the west the Libyan desert.
The city belongs administratively to the province Aswan ( Aswan ) and is in this case 30 km southeast of the northern border of the province. The Sudanese border in the south is about 330 km, the Red sea 180 km to the northeast. With Aswan and Luxor Edfu along the Nile is connected by a railway line which runs along the east bank of the river. A real city center has the introduction of non, the center form the exposed temples.
With the province capital of Aswan Edfu is out of the path connected by a road that leads through Kom Ombo on the east bank of the Nile to the south. The nearest international airport is the airport Luxor, five kilometers east of the city of Luxor. Important artery for Edfu is the Nile, on the run that are important for the whole cruise tourism vessels from Luxor to Aswan and freight traffic is handled to Lower Egypt. The piers of the trains running on the Nile cruise ships lying along the Ostrands the urban area.
History
The earliest evidence for the region around Edfu date back to the fifth dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Since then, Edfu was the capital of the second nome of Upper Egypt ( Wetjes -Hor; " Horus - throne - Gau " or " Falkengau "). From the 6th Dynasty mastaba of the former nomarchs Izi comes. In the Middle Kingdom, the cult developed around him as a revered " living god ". Even before the start of the New Kingdom necropolis of the existing Edfu was first installed four kilometers west to Hagar; in the late period was the next shift of twelve kilometers south after Nag' -el- Hassaya. The entire region surrounding Edfu was called " Southern Behdet ".
During the Middle Kingdom Hor - Behdeti was the Gaugott, took over in Greco- Roman times Behdeti this function. Horus came in Edfu in several forms, such as as " The of Behdet ," Hor - heri - wadjef, Hor - Behdeti -em- Djeba, Hor - Behdeti -em- cheperuef -en -Re, Hor - Behdeti -em- set - wenep, Hor - Behdeti re- Min, Horus of Buto in Edfu ( Apollon in Edfu ), Hor -en- peref, Harsiese in Falkengau and Harsiese in Edfu.
According to legend, Horus in Edfu was one of his biggest fights against Seth. In ancient Greece, Edfu Ἀpóllônos pólis Megale, which in Roman times was to Apollonopolis Magna, named after the god Horus of Buto, who underwent a special devotion here said. In addition to the Temple of Hor - Behdeti are still considerable remains of the ancient city of which parts were also unearthed. It was found houses of the Greek, Roman and Byzantine periods. In the early Middle Ages Edfu was the seat of a bishop. The temple of Edfu was covered a long time up to the capitals with sand, what its good state of preservation explained. On its side edges stood on the sand masses in the 19th century homes of the local fellahin. Almost a hundred of the buildings were torn down from 1860 in the excavation of the temples under Auguste Mariette.