The Speos of Horemheb
A temple cut into the cliff above the river.
Panegyrics of Granovetter — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Olaf Tausch — CC BY 3.0 · Olaf Tausch — CC BY 3.0 · Panegyrics of Granovetter — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Olaf Tausch — CC BY 3.0
Gebel el-Silsila is an ancient quarry site on both banks of the Nile, 65 km north of Aswan, where the river runs through the narrowest point in its whole length, between Edfu and Kom Ombo. Its ancient name, Kheny, means the place of rowing. Its more than 120 quarries supplied sandstone for most of the great New Kingdom and Ptolemaic temples, among them Karnak, Luxor, Kom Ombo, the Ramesseum and Medinet Habu. The quarries were worked from the 18th Dynasty into Greco-Roman times. Officials in charge of the work left shrines and rock stelae on the west bank, including the shrine of Senenmut that shows Hatshepsut as a pharaoh. Tool marks, trenches and unfinished blocks show exactly how the stone was cut. The west bank's main sight is the rock-cut temple known as the Speos of Horemheb, begun under Hatshepsut and recarved in Ramesside times, with chapels of the viziers Panehesy and Paser. South of it stand large royal stelae of Ramesses III, Ramesses V and Shoshenq I; to the north, rock shrines overlook the Nile, including those of Seti I, Ramesses II and Merenptah. The site lies 22 km north of Kom Ombo and 37 km south of Edfu in a straight line. Most visitors come from Nile cruise boats or dahabiyas; if you come by car, ask in advance about a local boat to the west bank.
A temple cut into the cliff above the river.
Tool marks and unfinished blocks.
Hatshepsut shown as a pharaoh.
West bank of the Nile between Edfu and Kom Ombo, north of Aswan
That is what the Arabic name means. A popular story says a chain was once stretched across the river at this narrow point, but there is little firm evidence for it.
Yes, but it takes more effort: come by car from Kom Ombo or Edfu and find a local boat, so it helps to arrange it with a driver or guide.