The Temple of Philae can be found in the city of Aswan. Stop by one of the many tourist traps to glimpse gorgeously dressed Nubians, stunning ruins, or the mighty Nile River. The great Nile flood in the 13th century submerged many of Aswan’s temples built on the islands.
Philae Island is widely considered one of the must-visit attractions in Aswan. Via Philae, you may see the island’s many temples dedicated to Isis, who was revered as a patron goddess. The Ptolemaic and Roman periods also saw the development of these religious buildings. We may assume that the island’s most famous temples, such as the Temple of Philae, are located there.
Why and how was the Philae temple built?
The Ptolemaic period saw the construction of the Temple of Philae begin. The Egyptian goddess of motherhood, healing, and childbirth, Isis, had a temple erected in her honor by her family, including her husband Osiris and son Horus. Until the year 550 A.D., when Christianity was officially introduced to Egypt, the Temple was one of the few sites where traditional Egyptian religion was still practiced.
Several ancient gods’ statues were damaged or destroyed when the Temple was converted into a church by the early Christians. Since the construction of the Lower Aswan Dam, the whole island of Philae has been submerged under water. Following the structure of the High Dam, the ground in the region sank, forcing residents to relocate to an elevated island.
The Philae Temple has been moved.
The Temple has been moved from its original location. Flooding has submerged Philae Island, where the Temple once stood. Since the Lower Dam was completed, there has been no change. The Temple will be buried permanently during the High Dam construction, and excavating it will be tough. Nearly 40,000 stones were built up the Temple, which UNESCO dismantled and relocated to the nearby “Island of Aguilkia” in 1960. Stone by stone, the Temple was painstakingly disassembled and reassembled.
The Philae Temple is completed:
The Temple was constructed in its likeness to the rise of a new Egyptian kingdom. However, there were also artifacts from the Greco-Roman era, such as a nilometer, which was used to assess the depth of the yearly flood and the purity of the Nile River. There is a door at the entryway that is 18 meters in height. Next, you’ll come to a series of columns that lead to a unique chamber. In addition, there is a structure dedicated to the story of Horus’s birth; this structure is known as the Birth House.
The rooms seem more likable now that they have been painted and decorated. The walls are covered with hieroglyphics that depict scenes from the legend of Isis and Osiris. In addition to Pharaonic and Christian reliefs, there are also Roman and Christian ones. According to the Temple’s mythology, Osiris was murdered and dismembered by his brother Set after he wed the goddess Isis. When Set was through with Osiris, he dispersed his bodily parts over Egypt. The man’s wife, Isis, scooped up his remains and gave him a shock to revive him. As a result, Isis hid Seth away on the island of Philae.
