The Chapel of Caracalla at Kom Ombo

My principal research interests lie in the field of Egyptology, ancient religions and philology. I have particular expertise and interests in ancient Egyptian religious and funerary texts and vignettes. I am currently interested in investigating the inscriptions on the late stelae from Akhmim in particular and those of late and Ptolemaic period in general e.g. Kom Ombo, Qus and the gate of Ptolemy III at Karnak (Porte d’ Évergète). My future plans and my broad research interests are to build on the foundations of my PhD to further focus on the topics of the thoughts in ancient Egypt as well as hieroglyphic inscriptions as main sources of  ancient Egyptian civilization.

The main temple of Haroeris and Sobek-Re at Kom Ombo is unique in its architectural design as a double temple. There are also small but important buildings around this main temple, e.g. the Mammisi (birth house), the chapel of Hathor and the chapel of Caracalla. The current project is concerned with this questionable chapel from the reign of Caracalla at Kom Ombo, which is located on the northeastern side next to the Byzantine church and its presbytery. It was uncovered by Barsanti in February / March 1914 but has not yet been published.

The chapel of Caracalla is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek-Re at Kom Ombo. As with other temples, such subsidiary chapels are located around the main temples, e.g. the chapels of Hathor and Arensnuphis in Philae, the small temple of Isis in Dendera, the Opet temple in Karnak etc. It is noted that these latter examples are not dedicated to the local main deities, while our case belongs to the main god of Kom Ombo. Thus, the aim of this project is to carry out an entire publication and documentation as well as a detailed study of this chapel.