Philae
๐ Location: Agilkia Island, Lake Nasser, just south of Aswan's old dam ย ยท ย ๐บ Period: Late Period to Roman ย ยท ย ๐๏ธ Tickets: ~450 EGP + ~200 EGP boat
The Temple of Isis at Philae is the great Ptolemaic-Roman shrine to the goddess of magic, motherhood and the throne โ and the last place on earth where hieroglyphs were actively used (an inscription dated AD 394). For more than a thousand years pilgrims sailed up the Nile to its sacred island; even after the temple closed in the 6th century AD, the cult of Isis lingered on into early Christian times.
The original island of Philae was partially drowned by the building of the first Aswan Dam in 1902 and faced complete submersion when the High Dam was added in the 1960s. In one of UNESCO's most heroic rescues, the entire complex โ pylons, columns, kiosks and the Kiosk of Trajan โ was dismantled into 40,000 blocks and rebuilt on the higher island of Agilkia, just upstream, where you visit it today.
Reaching the temple is half the magic: a short motorboat ride across calm green water from Marsa Shellal jetty, the temple slowly rising from its island as you approach.
Highlights
- First & Second Pylons of the Temple of Isis, with reliefs of Ptolemy XII
- Inner sanctuary of Isis with the late hieroglyphic graffiti
- Kiosk of Trajan ("Pharaoh's Bed") โ the iconic riverside pavilion
- Sound-and-Light show after dark
- Boat ride itself is part of the experience
Visiting
- Opening hours: 7 am โ 4 pm; Sound-and-Light after dark
- Tickets: ~450 EGP entry + ~200 EGP shared boat (per person)
- Best time: late afternoon for soft light and cooler temperatures
- Nearby: Aswan, Nubia Museum, Unfinished Obelisk