On Location - Kom Ombo, Egypt

One of the most unusual temples of Ancient Egypt, Kom Ombo was mainly built during the Ptolemaic Dynasty from 180 - 47 BCE, although there is evidence that it is stood upon an earlier temple. 

The building is unique because its 'double' design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods. The southern half of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world with Hathor and Khonsu. Meanwhile, the northern part of the temple was dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris ("Horus the Elder"), along "with Tasenetnofret (the Good Sister, a special form of Hathor or Tefnet/Tefnut) and Panebtawy (Lord of the Two Lands)." The temple is atypical because everything is perfectly symmetrical along the main axis.

While much of Kom Ombo temple has been destroyed over the millennia, it has been reconstructed in part, and it is still home to a number of well-preserved and fascinating reliefs, including some intricately carved columns and friezes divided between the two gods. The layout of the complex - apart from being a double temple - is similar to that of the Temple of Edfu.

Until very recently, the River Nile was infested with crocodiles of which the Ancient Egyptians were naturally scared. However, there was an ancient belief that if they worshipped the animal, it wouldn't attack them, and at Kom Ombo there was also a small pool in which the reptiles were raised. One of the highlights of the visit to this temple is the Crocodile Museum, where some of the many hundreds of mummified crocodiles found in the area are exhibited along with intriguing explanations.