Philae Temple in Aswan

Philae Temple in Aswan

Philae Temple - For more than 50 years the island of Philae and its monuments were half-submerged in water, until the UNESCO operation to save the Nubian monuments in 1960. The temples were completely dismantled and rebuilt in their original layout on the nearby island of Agilkia, which rises higher above the water and was reshaped and landscaped to resemble Philae.
A short trip by motorboat brings visitors wonderful views of the island of Philae.
The main temple was dedicated to Isis and was a centre of the cult of Isis and Hathor in the Roman period. It was the last pagan temple to remain active in Egypt.

There are many legends connected with Philae, but the best known tells the story of how Isis found the heart of Osiris. Every evening a "Sound and Light Show" is held, telling the legend of the deities. The show takes place against the magnificent scenery of the illuminated monuments - the experience is truly magical.

The outer walls of the temple show scenes carved by the emperors Augustus and Tiberius. The mud-brick buildings on the eastern and northern sides (now ruined) were intended for the Roman priests and temple staff. At the northern end of the island you can see a gate built by Diocletian. On the western side, near the birth house of the Ptolemies, a Nilometer leads down to the river. These structures were used to measure the height of the annual floods in ancient times, in order to assess the taxes for the next harvest.