Philae Island

Philae Island is a Nile island in the Aswan region that was the original site of an important ancient Egyptian temple complex, most famously the sanctuary of Isis. The temples on Philae were significant Ptolemaic and Roman-era religious monuments that survived into late antiquity.

Today the surviving temple structures associated with Philae are visited as a single archaeological complex after being moved from the original island to nearby Agilkia Island during an international rescue and relocation campaign. Major features include the sanctuary of Isis, the Kiosk of Trajan and several smaller chapels and gateways decorated with relief carving.

The temples were built and expanded by pharaonic, Ptolemaic and Roman patrons over many centuries; they remained active well into the late antique period. In the 20th century the construction of the Aswan High Dam threatened the original island site, prompting the removal and reassembly of the monuments to higher ground under a UNESCO-led project.

The site sits in the Nile near Aswan in southern Egypt and is reached by short boat trip from the city; it forms one of the principal archaeological attractions in the Aswan Governorate.

• Relocation: Temples were dismantled and moved to the nearby island of Agilkia in a UNESCO-led rescue campaign when the Aswan High Dam created Lake Nasser.
• Access: Access to the temple site is by motorboat from Aswan and the complex is a major archaeological visitor site in the Aswan area.

What to See #

• Temple complex: The principal temple complex originally located on Philae centred on a major sanctuary to Isis and a set of Ptolemaic- and Roman-period buildings now relocated nearby.
• Kiosk of Trajan: The Kiosk of Trajan is a small Roman-era pavilion notable for its columns and was moved as part of the rescue campaign.
• Additional monuments: Smaller chapels and gateways include the Temple of Hathor and various decorated gateways and reliefs from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.