Manifestations scientifiques
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Les conférences de l’Ifao
Le mercredi 1er avril 2026 à 17h00 (heure du Caire), IFAO 
The Many Lives of Kom Ombo: Urban Power, Hinterland, and Regional Identity in Upper Egypt
Irene Forstner-Müller
Langue : anglais.
Abstract
Kom Ombo has long been renowned primarily for its double temple, dedicated to Haroeris and Sobek. Since 2017, systematic investigations by the OeAI/OeAW Cairo Branch in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities have fundamentally changed this view.
The name 'Kom Ombo' derives from the ancient Egyptian 'Nbyt' or 'Nbw' ('the Golden One'), possibly reflecting the town’s role as a departure point for expeditions to the gold mines and quarries of Egypt's Eastern Desert. During the Greek and Roman periods, the town was the metropolis of the first Upper Egyptian nome; its status in earlier periods is less clear. Nevertheless, Kom Ombo held considerable regional importance during the Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate Period. This lecture provides an overview of ongoing research into the town and its hinterland from the Old Kingdom to the 19th century CE, focusing particularly on Kom Ombo’s role and development during the First Intermediate Period.
Irene Forstner- Müller is the head of the Cairo Branch of the Austrian Archaeological Institute/Austrian Academy of Sciences. A leading specialist in Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period Egypt, her research has a special focus on the archaeology of Egyptian settlements. She has directed the excavations at Tell el- Dab‘a, the capital of the Hyksos, in the eastern Nile delta, for many years and more recently also the Joint Egyptian- Austrian mission to Kom Ombo.
Les conférences de l’Ifao
Les conférences de l'Ifao ont pour objectif la transmission des résultats des recherches en cours ou très récentes, par des chercheurs confirmés. Y sont conviés essentiellement les chercheurs impliqués dans les différentes opérations scientifiques de l'Ifao lors de leur passage par l'Institut. ِElles sont également parfois le lieu de présentation d'ouvrages récemment parus à l'Ifao par leurs autheurs. Les conférences de l'Ifao ont lieu traditionnellement les mercredis aprés-midis, en français ou en anglais.
IFAO Lectures series aim to transmit the results of current or very recent research by confirmed researchers. They are mainly animated by researchers involved in IFAO's various scientific programs and projects during their stay at the Institute. They are also sometimes the occasion for presentations, by their authors, of books recently published by the IFAO.
IFAO Lectures series are traditionally held on Wednesday afternoons, in French or English.