The last temple of Isis
Philae was the last place in Egypt where the old gods were worshipped. Hieroglyphs were carved here until the fifth century AD, long after they had been forgotten everywhere else.
The temple is reached only by boat, and the short crossing from the Shellal landing, with the colonnades rising from the water, is part of the magic.
Moved stone by stone
When the dams flooded the original island, UNESCO and Egypt dismantled the temple into more than forty thousand blocks and rebuilt it on the higher island of Agilkia in the 1970s, landscaped to match the old one.
Practical notes
The boat fare to the island is paid separately from the temple ticket.
- Come at opening time for soft light and a quiet island.
- The evening sound and light show is a different, atmospheric way to see the temple.
