An immense causeway of dressed stone leads from the water to the temple’s main entrance. The first pylon is off-center from both the causeway and the inner gateways of the temple itself. Notice the sun disk and cobra symbol over each successive entrance. A carving of St. George and Coptic inscriptions survive from early Christian times. The grand forecourt between the pylon and the vestibule is surrounded by 14 columns, each with a unique capital. You can take stairs up from a small room just beyond the vestibule to the roof for a commanding view of the entire forecourt and vestibule. This may be one of the only temples where you can get to The top legally.

Because the temple faces east, light flows into the Holy of Holies (innermost chamber) only in the early morning hours. Bring a flashlight if you want to explore at other times, and beware of bats. A passageway leads north through the vestibule to an inner encircling wall; follow the wall around to the south until you find a well-preserved Nilometer. Extraordinary carvings of Mandulis, Isis, Horus. and Osiris cover the outside walls.