Philae Temple

The temple complex on the island of Philae was primarily dedicated to the goddess Isis, one of the most important deities in ancient Egypt. It was also the last major outpost where the ancient Egyptian religion was practiced before being shut down by the Byzantine Empire.

The temple was completely dismantled and relocated in the 1960s because the construction of the Aswan High Dam threatened to submerge it forever. A massive international rescue campaign, backed by UNESCO, moved every stone block to the nearby, higher Agilkia Island.

The reconstructed temple complex is located on Agilkia Island in the reservoir of the Aswan High Dam in southern Egypt. Visitors today must take a small motorboat to reach the island and explore the ruins.

One of the most famous structures is the Kiosk of Trajan, an elegant, unfinished Roman pavilion with 14 massive columns. The complex also features the massive first pylon of the main Temple of Isis, covered in detailed reliefs by Ptolemaic pharaohs.