Ancient site · Aswan
Philae Temple
Graceful Ptolemaic and Roman temples of Isis on Agilkia Island near Aswan, carefully moved block by block to save them from the rising Nile.
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The story
Philae, on the Nile at the First Cataract, was a sacred island of the goddess Isis; most of what survives dates to the Ptolemaic era, with Roman emperors adding more, including Trajan's Kiosk. The last dated hieroglyphic inscription known today was carved here in AD 394, and parts of the complex were later turned into churches. After the Aswan Low Dam was completed in 1902 the island was often flooded, and the High Dam, completed in 1970, threatened it with total submersion. Under UNESCO's Nubia campaign the temples were dismantled and rebuilt on higher Agilkia Island, and the new site was inaugurated in March 1980. Philae is part of the "Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae" World Heritage property, inscribed in 1979.
Good to know
- The last dated hieroglyphic inscription known, from 24 August AD 394, was carved on the walls of the Temple of Isis at Philae.
- The whole complex was moved to higher Agilkia Island and inaugurated at its new site on 10 March 1980.
- Trajan's Kiosk, from the Roman era (AD 98–117), is one of Philae's best-known and most elegant monuments.
- The Temple of Isis was later converted into a church, and many of its carvings were deliberately defaced.
- Philae was inscribed in 1979 on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the "Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae".
Visiting tips
The island is reached by boat from Aswan, and an evening sound-and-light show is held there. Hours and ticket prices change, so please check before visiting.