Philae Temple
Approaching the temple by boat.
This Temple to Isis was on an island upriver from Aswan. When the British build a dam at Aswan to control the yearly floods (“Lower Dam”) the island was partially flooded. Eventually the temple was moved and reconstructed on a nearby island that stayed above the water level.
View of the temple pylons from near the dock.
Trajan’s kiosk; not sure what he was selling here – perhaps his godhood?
Trajan’s Kiosk – column details
South wall of the temple
Wall reliefs – note again the faces and hands of the “false idols” chipped away by early Christians.
The columns in the courtyard
The pylons and entrace.
Hathor column tops. This depiction of Hathor’s face repeats often during our trip southward.
More of the pylons and entrace, from the inside in the courtyard.
The front of the entry Pylons
Entrance and Pylons
Wall relief carvings
Pharoahnic cartouches in the wall carvings. The bee indicates “royal name”.
Wall carvings – faces and hands chipped away by early Christians.
The sanctuary, deep inside the temple.
At the boat dock, of course, there are plenty of souvenir sales.
A large number of these tour boats are tied up beside the dock, since (unfortunately) business was not good at this time.
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