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Kom Ombo is a city in Aswan Governorate. It is located on the eastern bank of the Nile, 42 kilometres north of the governorate. Kom Ombo was part of the first nome of Upper Egypt. It was called Nbyt in ancient Egypt, which means "golden," because the city was located on the most significant desert route leading to the gold mines in Nubia. During the Greco-Roman period, Kom Ombo was called Ombos and became a military garrison. The city was known in the Coptic period as Mbw or Embw. The Arabic name consists of two words: the first word is "Kom," which means "mount" or "hill," as the city stands on a hill, and the second word is "Ombo," which is derived from its Greek name. Sobek, who was depicted as a crocodile, was the main deity of Kom Ombo. The city's temple is dedicated equally to Sobek, Haroeris (Horus the Great or the Elder), and their associated gods.
