• Egypt Guide

  • Introduction to Egypt
  • Weather
  • Things not to miss
  • Getting around
  • Entry requirements
  • Money
  • Public holidays

• Explore Egypt

  • Cairo
  • The Pyramids
  • The Nile Valley
  • The Western Desert Oases
  • Alexandria and the Mediterranean coast
  • The Delta
  • The Canal Zone
  • Sinai
  • The Red Sea Coast and Eastern Desert

• Cities

  • Alexandria
    
  • Assyut
    
  • Aswan
    
  • Cairo
    
  • Damietta (Dumyat)
    
  • Hurghada (Ghardaka)
    
  • Luxor
    
  • Port Said
    
  • Qena
    
  • Rosetta (Rashid)
    
  • Suez
    
  • Tanta
    

Egypt Guide

The Nile Valley

Edfu

Situated on the west bank of the Nile, roughly equidistant from Luxor (115km) and Aswan (105km), the provincial town of EDFU boasts the best-preserved cult temple in Egypt, dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus. Though actually built in the Ptolemaic era, this mammoth edifice respects all the canons of pharaonic architecture, giving an excellent idea of how most temples once looked. In terms of sheer monumental grandeur, it ranks alongside Karnak and Deir el-Bahri as one of the finest sites in the Nile Valley. A must-see for tourists (and on every cruise boat or felucca itinerary), it has saved Edfu from the fate of Esna.

The same can't be said of other sites, which had few visitors even before travel restrictions made getting there more difficult, but if deserted ruins are your thing, El-Kab fits the bill; Silsilah makes an interesting stopover on felucca or dahabiya cruises between Aswan and Edfu; and Kom al-Ahmar deserves a mention even if visits aren't permitted.