Philae Temple – Nubian Gem in Aswan’s Nile

Philae Temple, one of the oldest Egyptian Nubian temples, sometimes known as “the pearl of the Nile temples,” is situated in the center of the eternal Aswan Nile. The beautiful temple on Philae Island created a natural topographical border with Aswan Island, which made it extremely important to the ancient Egyptians.

 

The history of an ancient civilization in one of the Nubian antiquities that was spared from drowning during the construction of Aswan High Dam was recorded in Egyptian writings as occurring on an island in the middle of the Nile River and known as the dividing line.

 

One of the most formidable strongholds on Egypt’s southern frontier, it divides the Nile into two opposing channels in Aswan City. It had an elephant temple that was relocated when the High Dam was built from its original location on Philae Island and assembled on Agilkia Island.

 

The Philae Temple, one of the most powerful fortifications along Egypt’s southern borders and an island in the middle of the Nile River, saw a sizable influx of visitors from all over the world who were eager to see the archaeological monuments, experience ancient Egyptian civilization, and visit the temple.

The Story of The Philae Temple

Among Egypt’s most well-known monuments are the several ancient archeological sites that make up the city of Aswan. The Philae Temple is one of the most significant of these monuments.

The Philae Temple’s history begins in the third century BC and continues through several periods, including the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine eras. The walls of that temple bore the imprint of each of these ages.

Numerous Ptolemaic-era structures can be found among the Philae Temple’s remains. One of the most well-known temples built by Ptolemy II Philadelphus is this one. The goddess Isis, the mother of Horus, was worshipped in this temple. The ancient Egyptians were familiar with her.

Isis is the moon goddess and the goddess of motherhood. This temple features a vista of the birth chamber where Horus was born and where Isis appeared to be feeding her son in the bush.

Given that it is one of the biggest temples ever constructed on the island, the Temple of Isis is regarded as the principal temple in Philae. The modern site of the Philae Temple, Agilkia Island, is thought to be roughly 25% larger than the size of this temple. What is known as the Mamizi Building, or Birth House, is located in the Temple of Isis’s central courtyard.

The location of the god’s birth celebrations is where the rites were performed, and the kings were eager to take part in these celebrations to verify that they were descended from the god.

 

Historical information about the Temple of Philae

Here are some historical details regarding the Temple of Philae:

• The Philae Temple was formerly known by the Greek and Latin name Belak. It was referred to as the Citadel or the Island of Anas Al-Wujud during the Islamic era.
• Situated in the center of the Nile River lies an island called Philae Island, home to the Temple of Philae. One of Egypt’s most important defense strongholds was this island. Because of the threat of flooding following the construction of the High Dam, the Temple of Philae was relocated from its original location to Agelika Island.

• The main reason for building the Philae Temple in the third century AD was to honor the goddess Isis, who was revered by both the Greeks and the Romans and was one of the most powerful goddesses in Egypt.
• The palace of Nectanebo I is one of the several Pharaonic monuments on the island of Philae. The Roman-era Greco-Roman Temple of Ares and the Roman-era Temple of Mandolis are located next to it. In addition, there are columns from the Roman and Ptolemaic periods, which include those from Trajan’s Cabin, the Temple of Imhotep, and the Temple of Hathor.
• The floods of the Nile overwhelmed this temple, causing it to drown. It was disassembled, then put back together, and relocated in 1972 from its original site above Agilkia Island to where the Philae Temple now stands. The island and the temples were surrounded by the waters of the Nile on all sides, posing a serious threat to them and their enormous archeological importance. This island is located five hundred meters from the location of Philae Island, and the relocation operation took around two years.
• The Philae Temple is regarded as a significant tourist destination that allows visitors to take in both the present and the artifacts of the past thanks to nighttime light and sound displays.

Myths associated with the Philae Temple

The Temple of Philae was linked to several tales. Legends of devotion and affection arose between the temple’s walls. The tale of the goddess Isis and the god Osiris, whose brother killed her husband, is one of the most well-known historical love stories for which this temple has gained notoriety since those eras. Isis built a tomb for her husband Osiris there as a memorial to his soul because she thought that part of his corpse was somewhere close to this island.

One of the names by which the island was known is the legend of Anas Al-Wujud, which is another myth that developed on this island. The narrative told the tale of a prince named Anas Al-Wujud who had a great love for a woman who was imprisoned on an island. He set out to rescue her by riding a crocodile across the Nile River. He was able to free her from prison and save her life.

 

Temples and structures within Temple of Philae:

The majority of the structures found among the monuments of Philae date to the Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BC). The most well-known of these is a temple that Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC) erected and dedicated to the goddess of monarchy, Horus’ mother, Isis. among the mammisi, or birth room, where Horus’s birth was commemorated, a tableau shows Isis nursing her son among the marshes.

One of the last functioning ancient Egyptian temples was the temple of Isis, which stood until the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527–565 AD) ordered all pagan temples to be foreclosed. The final known hieroglyphic inscription was carved here by an Isis priest by the name of Esmet-Akhom, and it dates to the late 4th century AD (394 AD). A Christian church was built in the temple, and numerous inscriptions were purposefully removed. 

Augustus, the first Roman emperor, and Ptolemy VI Philometor (180–145 BC) constructed a temple honoring Hathor nearby (30 BC–14 AD). The roof of the Trajan Kiosk (98–117 AD), which once faced the Philae temple complex, has vanished, but the structure remains intact.

Travelers to the island have recorded or painted it, citing its regular arrangement of columns as an aesthetic joy. Since the emperor is depicted presenting presents to Isis, her partner Osiris, and their son Horus, Isis is once again at the center of this worship.

During the UNESCO Nubia Campaign in the 1960s, all of these monuments were moved from the original Philae island to the neighboring island of Agilkia to save locations that had been inundated by the building of the Aswan High Dam.

Reasons for calling Philae Temple by this name

The words “philae” mean “peace, friendliness, and love.” Because it marked the end of Egypt, it was known by the ancient Egyptian term palak, which means the end of the far place. The Greek word Philae, which means “beloved,” was given to it during the Greek era, when the Greek language was widely used. Regarding the Arabic name, due to its association with folklore, it was called Anas Al-Wujud. Regarding the temple, Arabs kept calling it the Temple of Philae, just as Greeks did.