Crocodilopolis-Arsinoe
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To the north of Medinet el-Fayyum rises the Kiman Faris ("Horseman's Hill"), with the remains of ancient Crocodilopolis-Arsinoe, one of the largest ancient sites in Egypt, with an area of 560 acres. Much of the mound has been removed by brick makers or peasants digging for the fertile soil (sebbakh) found on ancient sites.
The ancient Egyptian name of the town was Shedet. It was the center of the cult of the crocodile headed water god Sobek (Suchos), the protective deity of the whole of the lake area. His sacred animal was the crocodile, and the Greeks, therefore, called the town Crocodilopolis. Politically it never seems to have been a place of any consequence. By extending the town, building Greek temples and schools and introducing the Greek language Ptolemy II Philadelphus turned it into an essentially Hellenic city, of which he made his wife Arsinoe the protective goddess. Thereafter the district became known as the Arsinoite nome and the capital as the "city of the dwellers in the Arsinoite nome", or more briefly as Arsinoe. In its heyday Arsinoe had a population of more than 100,000.
The principal temple, dedicated to the cult of Sobek (Suchos), was at the north end of the site. It was already in existence in the time of the 12th Dynasty, and was later rebuilt by Ramesses II. Beside the temple was a sacred lake in which was kept a crocodile sacred to the god.
The ancient Egyptian name of the town was Shedet. It was the center of the cult of the crocodile headed water god Sobek (Suchos), the protective deity of the whole of the lake area. His sacred animal was the crocodile, and the Greeks, therefore, called the town Crocodilopolis. Politically it never seems to have been a place of any consequence. By extending the town, building Greek temples and schools and introducing the Greek language Ptolemy II Philadelphus turned it into an essentially Hellenic city, of which he made his wife Arsinoe the protective goddess. Thereafter the district became known as the Arsinoite nome and the capital as the "city of the dwellers in the Arsinoite nome", or more briefly as Arsinoe. In its heyday Arsinoe had a population of more than 100,000.
The principal temple, dedicated to the cult of Sobek (Suchos), was at the north end of the site. It was already in existence in the time of the 12th Dynasty, and was later rebuilt by Ramesses II. Beside the temple was a sacred lake in which was kept a crocodile sacred to the god.
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