Philae temple, A timeless sanctuary of ancient myths and divine carvings

Philae Temple, Aswan Low Dam, Shash Village, Aswan Governorate, Egypt

Carvings on the temple walls

4.5

Introduction

Philae Temple is an ancient structure located on Philae Island in the southern part of Aswan, Egypt. It is dedicated to the goddess Isis and is renowned for its stone carvings and wall reliefs depicting mythical stories. However, in the late 19th century, as the construction of the Old Aswan Dam was completed, the temple began to be submerged. A further Aswan Dam was built in the 1960s, exacerbating the problem. To protect this historical site, the Egyptian government, with the assistance of UNESCO, began construction of a cofferdam around the temple in 1972 to drain the water and subsequently dismantled and relocated the temple to Agilkia Island, over 500 meters away from its original location. The reconstruction was completed in March 1980, and the temple was reopened. Today, Philae Temple remains one of Egypt's most important religious and cultural heritage sites.

Address

Philae Temple, Aswan Low Dam, Shash Village, Aswan Governorate, Egypt

Transportation

Taking a taxi from the city center costs about 100 Egyptian pounds round-trip. The driver will wait at the entrance, and you need to pre-arrange your tour time. Payment for the taxi is made at the end, without pre-payment. You need to buy tickets in advance, and once inside, you need to take a small boat to the destination. The cost of one boat is about 150 Egyptian pounds, which can be shared by several people. You also need to pre-arrange the boat pick-up time for the return trip.