Egypt

Temple of Philae, Aswan Egypt

We took a boat ride to see the Philae Temple now located on the island of Agilkia in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam. It is below the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, in Egypt.

Boat ride to the Island of Algilkia

As we approached the Island we could see the Philae Temple.

View if the Philae Temple from the boat as we approached.

We landed and began our walk towards the Temple. The closer we got to the Temple the more impressive it became.

Shelley and Ray in front of the main entrance to the Philae Temple.

The Temple of Philae was originally located near the First Cataract of the Nile in Upper Egypt. The y were being  flooded as a result of the initial construction of the Aswan Low Dam in 1902.  The UNESCO Nubia campaign dismantled the Philae Temple site and moved them stone by stone to the nearby Agilkia Island, before the 1970 completion of the Aswan High Dam. The Philae Temple has been relocated exactly as the original location.

The other wall of the main entrance with carved images in the stone.

We walked through the entrance which was spectacular and massive in size. Through the entrance we walked into a large courtyard with columns running the full length of the courtyard.

Shelley and Ray in the courtyard of the Philae Temple in Egypt

The columns in the courtyard were finished with a flower style leaf at the top.

Pillars in the Philae Temple

We walked throughout the courtyard admiring the smaller temple buildings. It was truly an emotional experience being able to walk in the Temple and touch the walls of such historic buildings.

Ray at the Temple of Philae in Egypt.

 

Shelley at the Temple of Philae in Egypt

We went inside the Temple of Philae and saw stone carvings and hieroglyphs on the walls.

Close up of hieroglyphs on the stone at Philae Temple.

Christianity seems to have been present at the Temple of Philae by the fourth century. Apparently at which point it coexisted with traditional Egyptian religion. We came across an Christian alter which was fashioned in the Temple.

Christian Alter in the Temple of Philae, in Egypt

Below are some of the spectacular Temple ruins or structures in the Philae Temple.

Ray in the Temple of Philae in Egypt.

It was a spectacular sight to see the Temple and walk through the ruins.It so rewarding to know that these historic Temples were not lost as a result of the Aswan Dam. UNESCO saved this history from being lost forever and we were fortunate enough to actually visit them.

“احرص وتذكر أن تعيش كل يوم على أكمل وجه ،”