The Philae Temple is located in Aswan and is one of Egypt’s most spectacular temples. The temple was originally located near the First Cataract of the Nile but was moved before the Aswan High Dam was completed in 1970. The Philae Temple is now positioned on Agikia Island. The Temple of Isis was the last temple built in the traditional Egyptian style. Construction started in 690BC. The cult of Isis remained here until at least 550AD.

You arrive by boat from Aswan, and you are greeted by an 18m-high gateway (pylon) with images of Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos dealing with his enemies. The central court of the Temple of Isis, the mammisi (birth house), is dedicated to Horus. Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris. You then arrive at the Hypostyle Hall where you will see Christian crosses carved into the hieroglyphs, and Egyptian gods defaced. As a result, it was used as a Christian church.

The Inner Sanctuary of Isis would have housed two granite shrines. One would have been a gold statue of Isis and the other containing the barque in which the statue travelled. You will pass the Gate of Hadrian and onto the lovely Temple of Hathor which is adorned with images of musicians (including an ape playing the lute). You will also see Bes, the god of childbirth. By the water’s edge, you will see the Kiosk of Trajan (‘Pharaoh’s Bed’) and the most iconic of Philae’s monuments.