Edfu was an important city in Upper Egypt, lying on the left bank of the Nile, about 100km south from Luxor. During the reign of the Old State, Edfu (the capital of the second province in Upper Egypt) enjoyed enormous prosperity. Nowadays, this city is known by its grand temple which was devoted to the worship of the great God of the Heavens falcon 'Horus', the God of Baholt town. This temple is considered one of the most important religious monuments in Egypt. During the reign of King Ptolomy III (237 B.C.), the construction of Edfu temple began, yet it was not finished until 57 B.C. because of some intrigues and plots hatched at Thebes at that time.
The length of the temple is 137m, while its width is 79m and its height 376m. Tourists are undoubtedly fascinated by the wonderful condition of the perfectly preserved temple -- its buildings, ceilings, halls, etc... are all complete and intact so that one might imagine seeing the priests and their assistants in their snow-white robes wondering here and there. Furthermore, the temple is surrounded by a number of secondary buildings attached to the temple, such as the 'Mammsi'. It is noteworthy that the temple is characterized by an enormous quantity of inscriptions covering the walls.