Philae Island is south of Aswan in the middle of the Nile. Its length is 400 meters, and its width is 135 meters. There you can see Isis Goddess Temple - one of the best preserved temples of the New Kingdom built under the Ptolematic dynasty.
Before Aswan Dam was constructed there were 3 islands, completing the first rapids of the Nile. A small island Bigae, which is now fully submerged, was the place of eternal slumber of Osiris and could be visited only by priests to perform sacred rituals. And on Philae there were constructed temples dedicated to the wife of Osiris, Isida.
When the older Dam was constructed the temple on Philae was also partially submerged, so in August and September, after discharge of the waters of the artificial lake, it reopened for tourists. However, construction of a new dam could result in complete submersion of the temple of Isida, that’s why UNESCO decided to relocate it to Agilkia Island.
So, there are three temples on today`s Philae, a huge temple of Isida, a small Nektaneb Pavilion, and a small temple of Hathor. In the evening you can also visit a magnificent show «Sound & Light» there.
