Description of the attraction
The Egyptian island of Philae was the center of the cult of the goddess Isis. The original ancient temple island was completely submerged in the waters of Lake Nasser after the construction of the Aswan Dam. As part of the rescue operation, all the great temples and monuments of Philae were removed from the water and rebuilt on a neighboring island, which was renamed Philae.
This island was one of the last outposts of the Egyptian religion, having survived the conversion to Christianity of the Roman Empire for two centuries. The earliest building on the island is considered to be a small temple of Isis, built around 370 BC. NS. A number of rulers later expanded it to the size of the Great Temple of Isis. Other ruins date mainly from the Ptolemaic kingdom (282-145 BC), many traces of the Roman era.
The sacred island attracted many Greek and Roman pilgrims who went to pray for the healing of the mysterious Egyptian goddess Isis. Even after the prohibition of other beliefs by the emperor Marcian in 451, the Nubian priests were allowed to make offerings to Isis on the island of Philae. The island's temples were finally closed in 535 AD. NS. by order of the Emperor Justinian. Some of the buildings were converted for Christian worship, and the Coptic community settled on Philae, who lived on the island before the arrival of Islam.
To the ancient temple of Isis, a passage from the river led through a double colonnade. In front of the propylaea (front gate) there were two huge lions made of granite, behind them were paired obelisks 13 meters high. The gates were pyramidal and colossal in size. At each corner of the sanctuary there was a monolithic temple - "the cage of the Sacred Hawk." These shrines have now been transported to the Parisian Louvre and Museum in Florence.
This was followed by smaller temples dedicated to Isis, Hathor and various deities associated with medicine and fertility. Their walls were covered with bas-reliefs with scenes depicting the birth of Ptolemy under the figure of the god Horus. Everywhere on the walls there are images of Osiris, and the two interior rooms are especially rich in ancient symbols. On two propylaea, carved Greek inscriptions intersect with partially destroyed Egyptian figures.
The images were badly damaged even by the first Christians and iconoclasts. To the south of the monumental structure is a small temple dedicated to Hathor, several surviving columns are crowned with the head of this goddess. Its portico consisted of twelve columns. Their tops are made in various shapes and combinations of palm branches and lotus flowers. Columns and sculptures on them, ceilings and walls were painted with bright colors, which lost their original luster due to the dry climate.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the island became known as a beautiful holiday destination and a popular resort with a beneficial climate. When the first Aswan Dam was built, the island began to sink under water for most of the year. The gray coloring at the bottom of the temples is reminiscent of this period.
The new project of the high-rise dam threatened the existence of the island, then it was decided to dismantle and transport the temples. International organizations under the auspices of UNESCO carried out a number of works between 1972 and 1980. The island of Philae was surrounded by a protective dam, the water was drained from it, on the neighboring island of Agilkia, a place for architectural masterpieces was cleared and prepared. The temples were sectioned and carefully numbered, then re-erected in the same positions in a new location. Until it was possible to move two Coptic churches and a monastery, the ruins of the temple of Augustus and the large Roman city gate, they remained there, on the underwater island of Philae. The government hopes to restore them later.
