The Thirst Gods

#holidayitinerary ### **The Roman Well at Kom Ombo: Sobek’s Hidden Cistern** **A 30-meter plunge into sacred hydrology—where Nile floods, healing rituals, and Roman engineering fused beneath the temple of dueling gods.** > *You peer into a **crumbling stone cylinder** sunk deep into the earth—its walls slick with algae, air humming with subterranean coolness. Faint echoes of splashing water rise from darkness where priests once drew "Sobek’s tears" for rituals. Feel the paradox: a Roman structure grafted onto Egyptian mysticism, its water both holy and deadly. Touch the rope-grooved limestone rim, worn by centuries of buckets hauling Nile-infused secrets to the surface.* --- ### **Key Details & Secrets:** 🏺 **Engineering & Ritual:** - **Date**: 1st c. CE (Roman addition to Ptolemaic temple). - **Depth**: 30 meters (98 ft)—hits the **same aquifer** as the Nilometer. - **Function**: - **Sacred Water Source**: For cleansing statues of Sobek/Horus. - **Medical Use**: Blended with herbs for "miracle cures" (high arsenic content killed parasites). - **Flood Gauge**: Correlated with the Nilometer—priests tracked levels here during droughts. 🔍 **Must-See Features:** 1. **Priest’s Carvings**: - Faint **ankh + was-scepter** symbols near the top—blessings for "life and power" from the waters. 2. **Roman Brickwork**: - Distinctive **herringbone-pattern bricks** (opus reticulatum) 5m down—contrasts with Egyptian stone. 3. **Arsenic Veins**: - Shimmering **yellow mineral streaks** in the rock—natural poison purified water but caused tremors in priests. 4. **Sobek’s "Tears"**: - Dark **calcite deposits** resembling crocodile scales—dripping from temple foundations. 📍 **Location:** - **Northeast corner** of Kom Ombo Temple, 50m from the Crocodile Museum. - **Coordinates**: 24.4521° N, 32.9290° E --- ### **Hidden Stories:** ⚱️ **Cleopatra’s Poison**: - Local legend claims she ordered water drawn here to eliminate rivals—arsenic’s sweet taste masked in wine. 🩺 **Surgical Sanctification**: - Surgeons rinsed tools in this water before operations—arsenic acted as antiseptic (and unintended anesthetic). 🔮 **Oracle of the Depths**: - Priests lowered a bronze Sobek statue into the well—its tilt upon retrieval "answered" petitions (likely manipulated). --- ⚠️ **Pro Tips:** - **Best View**: Stand at **sunset**—low light reveals mineral glitter in the walls. - **Echo Test**: Drop a pebble—count seconds to gauge depth (≈3 secs). - **Hidden Chamber**: A **side tunnel** (now sealed) once connected to the Nilometer for secret readings. - **Combine With**: **Crocodile Museum**—exhibits jars of well water used in mummification. ---