The relocation of Philae Temple is one of the great engineering stories of modern archaeology. Between 1972 and 1980, a UNESCO team moved the whole temple complex of Isis, block by block, from its flooded island to the higher island of Agilkia nearby.
Why it had to move
The first Aswan dam, finished in 1902 and raised twice after that, left Philae under water for much of each year. Visitors rowed between the columns. The High Dam would have left the temple flooded all year round, with the water rising and falling every day, which would have destroyed the stone.
How it was done
Engineers built a coffer dam of steel sheets and sand around the island and pumped out the water. The temples were cleaned, measured and cut into about 40,000 numbered blocks. Meanwhile, the island of Agilkia was blasted and shaped to match the original island, so the buildings could be placed in the same relation to each other and to the sun. The rebuilt temple opened to visitors in 1980.
philae_temple_Aswan_EgyptVisiting
Philae is reached by a short boat ride and is part of almost all of our Aswan day tours.
