Athena Review Image Archive ™
Edfu: Temple Portico (Roberts 1838)
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Portico of the temple of Horus at Edfu (Roberts 1838-40).
Located 100 km south of Thebes on the west bank of the Nile, Edfu contains a well-preserved Ptolemaic temple complex devoted to Horus, the falcon god. The Temple of Horus was begun by Ptolemy III in 237 BC and completed over a 200-year period. Both the temple and its entrance pylon contain bas-relief sculptures made in 57 BC, showing Ptolemy XII defeating his enemies
This 1838 lithograph by David Roberts shows the elaborate relief decorations of the temple portico, and dramatically conveys how deeply it was then buried in sand drifts. A view from inside the temple portico in the same condition is shown by the earlier (1799) drawing by Vivant Denon.Copyright © 1996-2019 Rust Family Foundation (All Rights Reserved).