The temple of Philae is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved temple complexes in Egypt. This Nile island near Aswan is located on the island of Angelika near Aswan.
Angelika Island is not the original site of the temple. It once stood on the island of Philae, which is how this temple got its name, but before the island disappeared under the Nile waters, it was moved to its present location.
The temple complex dates back to the Greco-Roman period and is considered the last great sanctuary of ancient Egypt. In ancient times, this place was an important place of worship for Isis, the goddess of Egyptian mythology.
Furthermore, this place was called the ‘Pearl of Egypt’ by travelers, because the temple complex stands out in the middle of the Nile. The main building of the temple complex is the temple of the goddess Isis. It stands on the west bank about in the middle of the island.
Around it is other smaller buildings, such as the kiosk of Nectanebos I, the Trajan kiosk, the small temple of Hathor, the temple of Harendotes, the kiosk of Psammetich II, the Hadrian bastion, the temple of Imhotep, the chapel of Mandulis, and the temple of Arensnuphis-Dedun.
This beautiful Philae temple is one of the most picturesque in all of Egypt. Philae is located on the island of Angelika south of the ancient Aswan Dam and you will need to take a water cab to the island to get to the islands.
The temple moved to its current location after the construction of the High Dam, which risked sinking it permanently. Careful reconstruction at the current site was carefully completed, carefully maintaining the original appearance and layout of the complex, and even adapting the island to its former location. Philae Temple Philae achieved fame during the Ptoloma dynasty as the center of the cult of the goddess Isis.
This Nile island near Aswan was one of the last remaining places where the ancient religion survived after the arrival of Christianity in Egypt and was not officially closed until 550 AD. The early Christians then used the main temple of the island as a church.
This is the reason for the defacement of some of the figures of the ancient gods, as these Christians often tried to remove the pagan images from their newly claimed sanctuaries. The temple of Isis is the main feature here, but there are several other smaller temples on the island that are worth admiring.
There is a sound and light show at the Temple of Philae, as at all the other major ancient sites in Egypt, but the Philae Theater is generally considered the most impressive of these often over-the-top events.
The ambiance of the island’s ruins bathed in floodlights is hard to describe, but this is a recommended way to spend an evening. Philae Temple See the most beautiful sights and sites in Luxor and Aswan aboard the Nile cruise. Fantastic tours await you, click here.
Check out the most beautiful sights and places in Luxor and Aswan aboard the Nile Cruise. Fantastic tours await you, click here.
