Philae Temple is the island sanctuary of Isis, the great mother goddess, set in the Nile just south of Aswan. You reach it by a short motorboat ride, and seeing its colonnades rise from the water is one of the loveliest moments of a trip to Egypt.
History
Most of the temple was built under the Ptolemies and the Romans, from about 380 BC onward, though the cult of Isis on the island is older. Pilgrims came from across the Mediterranean. Philae was one of the last places where the old religion was practiced: the last known hieroglyphic inscription in the world was carved here in 394 AD, and the temple was only closed by the emperor Justinian in the 6th century. Early Christians later turned part of it into a church, and you can still see the crosses they carved.
Moved stone by stone
After the first Aswan dam was built in 1902, Philae spent much of each year half under water. When the High Dam was planned, a UNESCO team built a coffer dam around the island, pumped it dry, cut the temples into about 40,000 blocks and rebuilt them on the higher island of Agilkia between 1977 and 1980. The story is told on our page on the relocation of Philae.
What to see
The first pylon shows Ptolemy XII smiting his enemies. Beyond it is the main temple of Isis, the birth house, and the Kiosk of Trajan, an elegant open pavilion by the water that is the most photographed building on the island. In the evening there is a sound and light show.
Visiting
Boats leave from the Marina Philae landing, and the round trip with your visit takes about two hours. Philae is part of most of our Aswan day tours and every Aswan to Luxor Nile cruise.
