Kom Oshim

Kom Oshim is located to the north of Qarun Lake, 70 KM away from Cairo, 33 KM away from El Fayoum, a town that date back to Greek Roman in Fayoum at western desert of Egypt, it was built by the Ptolemies in the 3rd century BC.

 

Karanis is the ancient name for Kom Oshim, it is the largest Greco-Roman city located at El Fayoum, this city went through many changes and it was totally occupied for about seven centuries.

 

Today the remains of the city include two temples dedicated to the crocodile gods and a Roman bath, it also includes a museum that has an interesting display of glassware, jewelry and pottery discovered in the site.

 

Karanis Museum:

 

Karanis Museum is small but shows the design of the Ptolemaic Roman Empire, it contains a huge collection that were found in the city such as glassware, potteries, jewelries and ornaments, it also includes two of the famous Fayoum portraits which were painted on wood to cover the face of the mummy.

 

The northern Temple:

 

This temple which date back to 1st Century, the temple has two small entrance pylons, and it has no inscriptions at all and dedicated to Roman Bath.

 

Southern Temple:

 

The temple in the south side was built in the 01st century AD, and it is the largest one, the museum was dedicated to God Sobek (the Crocodile God), it contains three chambers, many mummified crocodiles have been found at Karanis, there is also a low hidden chamber which was probably used by the priests to deliver oracles.