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The Temple Island of Philae

The island of Philae, with justification, has earned itself the nickname “Pearl of Egypt” for its unique ensemble of sacred buildings and harmonious natural surroundings. Squeezed together on the small island (approx. 460 x 150 m) lay an entire city of temples that had been built in honor of the goddess Isis. During the course of moving the shrines to the neighboring island of Agilika in the 1970s, hundreds of recycled stone blocks were recovered from the foundations, which allowed the cult and building tradition on Philae to be dated back to as early as the Twenty-fifth or Twenty-sixth Dynasties. The earliest reliably known building patron on the island was Nectanebo I (Thirtieth Dynasty), while the main buildings date from the Greco-Roman period.

Some of the relief decoration even extends up to the time of emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus (late 2nd century A.D.). As the great mother goddess, Isis was so popular that her cult on Philae lasted longer than that of any of the other Egyptian gods. The latest graffito, inscribed into stone in Demotic script by a pilgrim, dates from 452 A.D. Not until the reign of Justinian in the 6th century was her shrine finally closed and part of it converted into a church – that of St. Stephen. Coptic Christianity went on to have a similarly long history on Philae, lasting until the 12th or 13th centuries.

 
 
  Temple of Isis - Ptolemaic period, 3rd – 1st centuries B.C.  
  The main temple on Philae was dedicated to Isis and her son Harpocrates (“Horus the child’). Its ground plan does not correspond to the traditional schema of a Ptolemaic shrine either in terms of the configuration of its rooms or its orientation. Particularly striking is the deviation from the axis which commences with the second pylon; this is no doubt explained by the rocky geological conditions below ground.

Today the large outer courtyard, lined with long colonnades whose decoration dates from the early Roman Empire, is entered through a kiosk built by Nectanebo I (Thirtieth Dynasty). Two granite lion statues and a pair of obelisks once stood in front of the mighty entrance pylon (45.5 x 18 m), but these were removed at the beginning of the 19th century by the Italian adventurer Giovanni Battista Belzoni.

The reliefs on the first pylon show Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos “smiting the enemies.” Above these triumphant scenes, the ruler is shown in several smaller reliefs making sacrifices to the gods. On the eastern tower he can be seen handling the crowns of the kingdom to Horus and Nephthys and burning incense before Osiris, Isis and Harpocrates. Set at a diagonal immediately in front of the eastern tower of the pylon is the large gate of Ptolemy II Philadelphos, while the central entrance portal is a Thirtieth Dynasty structure built by Nectanebo I which was later integrated into the Ptolemaic temple. The inner courtyard of the temple of Isis is bordered by the birth house to the left and a sequence of priests’ rooms to the right. A flight of steps leads up to the second pylon (32 x 12 m), which was also decorated during the reign of Neos Dionysos.

 
       
  Incorporated in the stonework of the tower on the right is a granite outcrop that has been smoothed down and inscribed with a dedicatory text from the 24th year of Ptolemy VI Philometor’s reign.

Behind the pylon lies a small courtyard which can be covered with an awning as necessary. Behind this is a vestibule containing eight pillars which once housed a Christian church (6th century A.D.).
This is revealed by the cross carved into the walls and a small apse set into the wall.

Various further rooms lead eventually to the inner sanctum at the end of the temple axis, where the large pedestal for the cult barque of Isis still stands. The high-quality bas-reliefs (depicting ritual scenes) were completed during the time of the temple’s first patron, Ptolemy II Philadelphos. .

 
  Birth House: Row of columns on the courtyard side  
  Ptolemaic period, 2nd / 1st centuries B.C.   Traditionally, the birth houses or mammisi of the later shrines are situated outside the main temple as independent structures.

Philae is the only known example where the mammisi is incorporated as a peripteral structure into the western side of the first courtyard. The birth house is entered through a small door in the western tower of the main pylon. The central tableau of its inner sanctum, reached via a vestibule and two further rooms, depicts the youthful god Horus as a falcon in the marshes of the Delta where, according to legend, he was brought up under the protection of his mother.

 
 
The Philae Temple

The Philae Temple which was the center of the cult of Isis in Aswan was mainly constructed by Ptolemy XII and then many kings from the Greco Roman era contributed by adding more and more items to the temple 

The Unfinished Obelisk

It is a huge obelisk dating from the Pharaonic New Kingdom and it is located in an ancient granite quarry just south of Aswan. If this gigantic obelisk was completed it would have weighed 1.8 million kilograms and would have stood at 41 meters high.

The Nubian Museum

The wonderfully designed Nubian Museum located to the south of Aswan is one of the most interesting places to visit in the city. Nubia, the region located between Aswan and Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, was inhabited since prehistoric times.
 
The Aswan Museum

The Aswan Museum is located inside a wonderful garden in the Elephantine Island. The museum hosts a number of displays starting from prehistoric times till the Greco Roman era. A new section was added to the museum containing the recent finds in Aswan including a set of jewelry and a marriage contract dating back to 350 BC
 
The Agha Khan Mausoleum

Being a land mark of Aswan, the Agha Khan Mausoleum is located in a deserted hill on the west bank of the Nile. The Agha Khan III (1877 -1957) the 48th leader of the Ismailies sect of Shiites was fond of Aswan where he used to spend the winter every year 
 
The Nilometer

Located near the Aswan Museum, the walls of the Nilometer is calibrated to record the height of the Nile flood that used to take place annually in Aswan and the whole southern region of Egypt. This Nilometer, which dates back to Pharaonic times, was perused again after being discovered in 1882  
 
Abu Simbel

The two rock temple of Abu simbel are located around 40 KM. north of the Sudanese border on the west bank of the modern reservoir (Lake Nasser). Originally hewn into the cliffs of the Nile riverbank, these two temples were rediscovered buried in sand by the Swiss traveler Johann in 1813. Following their successful rescue, they now stand like skittles in the Nubian Desert 
   
Discover Aswan

Due to its warm dry weather and the sun that shines in the city all year long, Aswan is one of the most wonderful winter resorts in Egypt and the whole world.
Aswan Attractions 

Aswan attractions and sightseeing attractions in Aswan. Book Aswan attraction tours with Select Egypt
Aswan Holidays

special discount holiday packages offers for Aswan travel. We give you tailor made holiday deals for Aswan travel
Aswan Tours & Excursions

special discount holiday packages offers for Aswan excursions. We give you tailor made holiday deals for Aswan travel
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Aswan Hotels

Choose from over 50 Luxor hotels with huge savings. Whatever your budget, compare prices and read reviews for all our Aswan hotels
Aswan Map

The governorate of Aswan is located at the South of Egypt with the governorate of Qena to the North, and the governorate of the Red Sea with cities like Safaga,
Aswan Monuments

The best monuments of Aswan. Information about Aswan monuments, landmarks, historic buildings and museums in Aswan.
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