Philae Temple
ATTRACTION Keywords:
Holy Place,
UNESCO Heritage Site,
Temple
Philae was a holy island in the Nile River where the ancient Egyptians built a temple to the goddess Isis. With the projects to dam the Nile - first with the Aswan Dam, then later in the 1960s with the High Aswan Dam - the island became increasingly submerged and the temple threatened. As part of UNESCO's project to rescue the ancient monuments threatened by the river damming, the island was itself dammed, surrounded by a high wall, until all the water was gone and the building could be cut into sections and moved. The project took 10 years.
Now the temple is on the higher, nearby Agilka Island and worthy of a visit. Isis was a very important goddess in ancient times. She was known as the Mother of God, giver of life, protector and healer of kings and her temple was once the site of many pilgrimages.
Latest Reviews
Review by Jose M, September 2012
Doing what: 4-Day Nile River Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Optional Private Guide
Amazing value !!! A very relaxing and super informative tour. You will miss a lot if you just stay in Cairo and visit the pyramids. Lots of temples and Valley of the Kings !!!. Ship and crew where wonderful. Our tours where conducted by the local Viator agent South Sinai Travel. They make sure you are escorted when you leave the ship. Our local guide "Moe" who stayed with us in the cruise is a very qualified Egyptologist from Cairo University who gave us a very comprehensive background on egyptian mythology and history. So if you rather do the photography thing than learning egyptology, make sure to inform him so that he can talk less and give you more photo time !!! I recommend to take the optional Abu Simbel tour. Definitely better than the pyramids !!!
Word of warning !! Egypt has no oil and is a poor country. Lots of people depends on the tourist trade so do not freak out if there are hordes of vendors trying to sell you some tourist trinkets. They will not accept a "No thank you". Just don't make I contact and smile and say No and go on your way. Avoid private taxi tours or horse carriage rides beacuse they will bring you to their own perfume shops and egyptian dress shops and if you don't buy anything, they will demand a bigger tip aside from the agreed fare.
Review by Manuel U, June 2012
Doing what: Philae Temple Sound and Light Show with Private Transport
Excellent show and excellent guide!!
Review by Damien G, April 2012
Doing what: 4-Day Nile River Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Optional Private Guide
Just brilliant! We were a little worried about making such a tour booking online, but from our meeting at the airport in Aswan, until our farewell in Luxor, we were treated very well and felt safe all the way. Food was top notch, the pool on the top deck bliss, and our rooms were better than we expected. There were only 14 guests on our boat, which actually holds 120, so we were very spoilt for space. Our guide Mustafa was a real gentleman, gave us all the history/stories/real life of Egypt. My biggest tip for future travellers would be to take US$50 in one dollar bills to use for tipping, since we found it very difficult to get small Egyptian Pound notes anywhere. Also take 50 + pens to give to children, since many were asking! Best day on the cruise was the 8 hour journey between temples, during the day, since we really got a great view of the Nile from the pool deck. Boat did not have any snack foods on board, so take your own, or buy on the street. Finally, we made specific room requests via Viator (2 x twin + 1 x double) and this was passed onto the boat operator. Very happy all around!
Practical Info
Many of the organized tours to the Aswan High Dam also visit Philae Temple. Alternately you can take a taxi to the ferry dock 4 miles south of Aswan and catch the river boat over to the island.
