Temple of Kom Ombo Outside of Aswan, Egypt

On August 20, 2018August 17, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Egypt8 Comments

On the evening of our last full day of our cruise down the Nile River, we visited the Temple of Kom Ombo. Although it was not the largest of temple complexes that we saw during our time in Egypt, it was still fascinating. The southern part of the temple is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek. Although crocodiles are not often found north of the new Aswan dam anymore, they used to prevalent in the area. There is even a Crocodile Museum at the site with crocodile mummies that are quite unique. The northern part of the temple is dedicated to the falcon god Horus and his image can be found on many of the hieroglyphs within the temple.

As with many different sites that we visited in Egypt, to get to the temple you wind your way through a variety of locals selling trinkets and children begging for money. Once inside the temple grounds, as you walk amongst the columns, the evidence of previous floods is very evident by the color variations on the walls. Because the temple sits so close to the banks of the Nile River, it has been damaged and mostly destroyed many times throughout history by both floods as well as earthquakes. Despite that fact, the temple has been mostly restored and there are even some hieroglyphs that retain some pigments of color.

With all of the different cruise ships that were at the temple when we visited, it was quite crowded when we arrived. On the bright side, since it was almost sunset, we had a slight break from the overwhelming heat. The temple was originally built around the Ptolemaic dynasty, somewhere between 180 and 47 BC. As with most of the temples in Egypt, the stories on the walls and columns of Kom Ombo depict specific histories of the gods, but many of them were unique to the local people of the area.

Another Image of the Crocodile God, Sobek

Top Things to Do in Athens, Greece

On August 13, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Greece20 Comments

Athens is certainly one of the most historic cities in the world and there is plenty to see if you decide to travel there. It is probably true that no matter where you dig in the city, there is a high likelihood that you will discover new ruins and they continue to find new artifacts and sites continuously. As we walked through the town, we even came across a new find that had recently been discovered during the digging of the subway system. You can certainly hire a guide to take you through all of the famous sites, but it is certainly possible to visit them on your own as we did. These are the places that we enjoyed most while we were in Athens, but be sure to take your time, eat some fresh seafood, and perhaps have sip of ouzo.

The Acropolis – This is really a complex of historic sites that made up an ancient citadel. Sitting atop a rocky mount that overlooks the city, there are many famous ruins that have been reconstructed. There is the Parthenon, the Erechthion, the Temple of Athena Nike, and more. We recommend that you buy a package bundle ticket that provides access to many of the other famous sites as you will likely want to visit them all anyway. No visit to Athens would be complete without going to the Acropolis.
Temple of Athena Nike
The Agora of Athens – Located at the base of the Acropolis, walking these ancient grounds with the statues, pottery, and stone walls is truly fascinating. The highlight of the site is the Temple of Hephaestus, which is one of the most well-preserved ancient temples in all of Greece. Among the statues that you will see as you walk the ancient roads is the remaining torso of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. There is also a museum on the grounds with many historical artifacts.
The Temple of Hephaestus above the Agora
Temple of Olympian Zeus – Although it is now just a series of columns, this site must have been a central point for the people of ancient Athens. Looking down at the temple from the Acropolis will give you a sense of its true size as it carves out a large portion of the city.
Temple of Zeus in Athens
The Roman Agora – Although smaller than the Agora of Athens, it is definitely still worth visiting. One of the most interesting structures on the site is the Tower of the Winds. It is an ancient clock tower where archeologists have discovered an ancient sun dial, wind vane, and a water clock. There are several outdoor restaurants in the area, which makes it a great place to visit during lunchtime where you can have a meal overlooking the ancient ruins.
First Glimpse of the Roman Agora
The Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – If you are in Athens on a Sunday, you should definitely make your way to the Syntagma Square at 11:00 am for the changing of the guards. Although the changing of the guards happens every day at 11:00 am, the performances on Sunday has more participants and more elaborate uniforms. While you are there, take time to see the Parliament Building and Presidential Mansion.
Dramatic High Stepping
Odeon of Herodes Atticus – Sitting on the southwest slope of the Acropolis, this is something that shouldn’t be missed. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is an ancient amphitheater and standing at the top provides incredible views of the city beyond the columns. Although truly part of the Acropolis, not everyone makes there way to this ancient site, so it is worth pointing this one out on its own.
View of the Amphitheatre
Acropolis Museum – With nearly 4,000 objects on display, there is a wealth of treasures housed in the museum. Although we didn’t actually make it to the museum during our visit due to it being over the holidays, we have included it on our list as we have heard nothing but wonderful things about the museum.
Ancient Pottery

We have been to many fascinating cities, but Athens is definitely one of our favorites. It is one of those special places where you can really feel as though you’ve been transported back thousands of years in time to see things that could have been lost to time. A week in Athens would allow you to do some day tours to the outlying areas, but you should plan for at least three days in the city itself.

Ancient Granite Quarry in Aswan, Egypt

On July 20, 2018July 20, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Egypt7 Comments

One of the first things we visited when we arrived in Aswan was the northern quarry, which contains an unfinished obelisk. Most of the granite that was used in ancient Egypt was mined from the quarries of Aswan and carried up the Nile on boats. It must have been extremely hard work to mine granite by chipping away at it with other stones. The day that we arrived in Aswan it was 114 degrees Fahrenheit (about 44.5 degrees Celsius), which made the thought of conditions that the ancient workers even more oppressive.

Looking Down at the Quarry and the Unfinished Obelisk

The giant obelisk that remains partially excavated from the granite quarry is quite impressive to see. It was commissioned by the famous female pharaoh, Hatshepsut and would have likely ended up with the other obelisks in the Karnak Temple in Luxor. Had the workers completed the obelisk, it would have been the largest ever created, but a crack in the stone stopped work on the obelisk. It has remained frozen in time as the workers have left it for thousands of years. In the time of Hatshepsut, obelisks were meant to represent the rays of sun, a way for the god Amun-Ra (Sun God) to descent to earth. It was important that obelisks be constructed out of a single stone without any cracks, otherwise the gods wouldn’t be able to travel through them.

One of the Finished Obelisks in the Karnak Temple

Probably more interesting than the reason for the creation of the obelisks is the transportation and actual placing of the obelisks in their final positions. After carefully chiseling the obelisks from the hard granite, they would raise them up and transfer them to a ship where they would be transported, standing erect, up the Nile. It must have been an unbelievable sight to the farmers living along the Nile when the ship with its cargo reaching towards the sky when sailing past them. Then, once reaching their location, such as the Karnak Temple, they would have to be transported across ground to their final location, all without breaking these huge structures. It is truly a task to be admired, even in today’s modern world.

People in the Background Provide Scale to the Obelisk

Visiting the ancient quarry with its unfinished obelisk is truly fascinating and should definitely be on your itinerary when visiting Aswan. There is very little shade at the quarry site, so be prepared for the heat and bring plenty of water. Walking around the quarry will only take about an hour or two, so you should have another destination mapped out for before or after. During our trip, after leaving the quarry, we continued onto the island of Philae to see the Temple of Isis.