Philae is an island in the middle of the Nile. Temple of Isis Who built the Temple of Isis

In ancient times, the island of Philae was considered a sacred land and was inaccessible to ordinary people. Only priestesses could live here, and even birds and fish avoided this island. Today, Philae Island is a popular tourist destination in Egypt, and the Temple complex located here is listed World Heritage UNESCO.

The island of Philae, often heard as Philae, is a small island located in the middle of the Nile. The island is 400 meters long and 135 meters wide. The island is located near Aswan. Its unique Temple complex attracts not only tourists, but also archaeologists from all over the world.

Get to the island

From almost any resort in Egypt you can get to Philae Island organized excursions. But you can go here on your own. The closest city to the island is Aswan, from where feluccas depart, the journey time is about 10 minutes. Aswan can be reached by train, bus or local airlines. But the most picturesque option is by boat on the Nile.

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Attractions

The main attraction of the island is the Temple complex from the Ptolemaic era. The complex includes the following structures: the Pavilion of Trajan, the Temple of Nectanebo I, the Temple of Isis and the Temple of the Goddess Hathor. The main dominant feature of this complex is the Temple of Isis, built in 350 BC. Located right in the middle of the island. Next in importance is the temple of the goddess Hathor. This temple was built by order of Nectanebo I, located in the southern part of the island. To the west of the Temple of Isis is Hadrian's Gate, where the last Egyptian hieroglyphic recording was made in 394.

After the British built the Aswan Dam in 1902, Philae Island was partially flooded and some historical heritage lost forever. For example, the grave of Asiris was never found, and remained forever under water. Between 1972 and 1980, all structures on Philae Island were moved to Agilkia Island, which is located 500 meters upstream. It was here that an exact copy of Philae Island was created. UNESCO advocated such an initiative in order to save the monuments of ancient Egypt. Today, twice a day, an LED show is held here, which tells the history of this Temple complex.

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Name:

Location: O. Phile. near Aswan Dam (Egypt)

Creation: III century BC (start of construction)

In connection with the construction of the Aswan Platinum, the complex was dismantled and completely moved to the island of Agilkia.

Buildings on the island

The island of Philae was one of the components of the area of the first rapids, but the significance and nature of the monuments preserved here make it necessary to consider it as an independent archaeological center. Isis has been worshiped here since time immemorial, as well as Hathor, the queen of Nubia, who returned from the scorching south in the guise of the lioness Tefnut and rested here, where she first set foot on Egyptian land. The wife of Isis, Osiris, was also revered here, one of whose tombs was located on the neighboring island of Bige. This island became an important cult center quite late.

Blocks bearing the name of Taharqa prove that there was a structure here dating back to the 25th Dynasty - the oldest structure still standing on its site, dating back to the reign of Nectanebo I. It is a small portico at the southwestern tip of the island, from which a road led to the main temple of Isis (H. Junker, E. Winter. Das Geburtshaus des Tempels der Isis in Vienne. Washed away by a catastrophic flood, it was restored by Ptolemy Philadelphus. Behind the portico are two colonnades built by Augustus and Tiberius, of which the eastern one remained unfinished. Nearby there were two temples dedicated to the Nubian deities Arensnupis and Mandulis. The third chapel, standing at the pylon of the Temple of Isis, was dedicated to Imhotep.

In front of the 45-meter pylon of the Temple of Isis stood two obelisks from the time of Euergetes II, now located in England, in Kingston Hall. At the entrance there is a famous inscription in memory of the campaign of Deze's division to Siena. In the west, between the first and second pylons, stands the Chapel of the Holy Conception - mammision, founded by Euergetes II, but completed only under Tiberius. The second, 32-meter pylon is decorated, like the first, with reliefs depicting Ptolemy Neos Dionysus (E. Vassilika. Ptolemaic Philae. Leuven, 1989). Traces of paint remain on the hypostyle columns, although for many years after the construction of the first Aswan Dam and before the transfer of the temples to the island of Agilkia, Philae remained under the waters of the Nile for nine months each year. The temple itself consisted of 12 halls and a crypt, the walls of which were covered with reliefs. The stairs led to the terrace with the Chapel of Osiris. The reliefs on the outer walls of the temple date back to the times of Augustus and Tiberius.
To the west of the Temple of Isis, in front of the side wall of the second pylon, is the "Gate of Hadrian", decorated with reliefs in the times of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. The subjects of these reliefs are associated with the cult of Osiris and therefore this heavily destroyed structure is sometimes mistakenly considered the chapel of Osiris.

In the north was the temple of Horendot (Horus, protecting his father Osiris), erected by Emperor Claudius, now completely destroyed. Further to the northeast are the ruins of the Temple of Augustus and the Gate of Diocletian. To the east of the temple of Isis stands the small temple of Hathor-Aphrodite, built by Ptolemy Philometor and Ptolemy II Euergetes. To the northeast of it, on the banks of the Nile, there is the most beautiful architectural structure of this island - the famous Trajan's kiosk, which looks like a portico with 14 columns. There are also two nilomeres preserved on the island, and a monastery and two churches were built here in Coptic times.

Pilgrims visiting the Temple of Isis during the Ptolemaic and Roman times left behind much graffiti, including the latest known hieroglyphic inscription, dating back to 394 AD. e. On the island of Philae, Isis was also worshiped by the Nubian tribes of the Nobads and Blemmyes, who raided the southern borders of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th century. Despite the wars that were fought in the region, Philae remained a place of peaceful coexistence between the two rival systems. The priests of the warlike Nubian tribes could worship Isis in her temple, and according to the treaty of 443, the Nobads and Blemmyes even received the right to temporarily take the statue of the goddess to their lands. Her cult persisted here long after the official Christianization of Egypt. Only under Justinian, in connection with the Christianization of Nubia, were the pagan temples on the island closed or converted for Christian worship.

The temple complex of Philae, numbering 27,000 tons and 45,000 blocks, was moved to the island of Agilkia, the topography of which was changed for this purpose during work carried out from 1972 until March 10, 1980, the date of the inauguration of the monuments at the new site . Monuments from Nubia and the flood zone of the Saad el-Ali dam were also moved to the area of the first rapids on the western bank of the reservoir.
Three dismantled monuments of Nubian sacred architecture were restored here. The most significant of them is the Kalabsha Temple, built by Emperor Augustus on the site of more ancient temple Amenhotep II. It was dismantled and moved to a new location by a German expedition in 1965 (H. Stock-K. Siegler, Kalabscha, Wiesbaden, 1965). The Egyptian Antiquities Service transferred here a small rock sanctuary of Ramesses II from Beit el-Wali and a kiosk from Kertassi, very similar to the kiosk of Trajan from the island of Philae. The stele of Psammetichus II, which was found in 1964 and was important from a historical point of view, was also installed nearby. Thus, in the area of the first rapids, a new archaeological center was formed, consisting of monuments moved from the territory of Nubia.

Sources:

Margaret Murray "Egyptian Temples", 2006, Centerpolygraph
“Description de l'Egypte, ou, Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Egypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. Atlas geographique.” 1818 AD

The Temple of Isis is one of the largest architectural monuments Ancient Egypt that religious significance. It was built by order of Pharaoh Ptolemy II. The temple building has been well preserved to this day thanks to the improvement and expansion of its territory by subsequent generations of the royal dynasty. This was primarily due to the fact that the cult of Isis was revered throughout the history of ancient civilization.

During the construction of the building, technology from the New Kingdom period in Ancient Egypt was used. Elements of the Greco-Roman period were also introduced into the decoration of the Egyptian shrine. A “nilometer” was created, which served to determine the water level in the river. And the sanctuary of Horus, son of Osiris.

Halls of the Temple of Isis at Philae

The entrance to the Temple of Isis opens through a passage between the towers. The courtyard leads to a second pylon, the walls of which are decorated with bas-reliefs telling the story of the birth of Horus by Isis.

Through the second pylon you can enter the columned hall, decorated with 10 pillars rising to the sky with lotuses. At the end of it are the ruins of the first temple of Philae, glorifying the power of Isis. The southern wall of the temple on the outside is decorated with a sculpture of a lion.

The rays of the sun almost do not touch the altars on which sacrifices were made by order of the pharaohs. Ancient Egypt and the priests sacrificed the most beautiful women.

Additional buildings adjacent to the Temple of Isis are the Chapel of Osiris, the Temple of Hathor (Hathor), the Temple of Augustus, the pedestal of Trajan and Diocletian.

After Christianity came to Egypt, Coptic rituals began to be held in some halls of the temple.

Finding a temple in the city of Aswan is easy. It is located in Abtal el-Tahrir Square near the Nubia Museum.

Surrounded by granite rocks, the sacred island of the goddess Isis rushes towards the blue sky with its columns and pylons.

The temple complex of Philae is one of the three best preserved “Ptolemaic” temples. The other two are in Dendera and Edfu.

The fillet is about 400 meters long and 135 meters wide. He was the biggest three islands located at the southern tip of the first Nile cataract.

The name “Philae” contains the very location of the island. “Pilak”, the name by which the island was known in ancient times, means “corner” or “outermost island”. In ancient times, Fillet was located at eastern shore Nile, next to a small bay, on the very edge, south of the first cataract.

Philae Island is located in Egypt, in the middle of the Nile. In ancient times, the island was considered sacred, as the remains of Osiris, the god of rebirth, are buried here.

In ancient Egyptian mythology, Osiris is the king of the underworld.

The ancient Egyptians also called the island of Philae inaccessible, since only priestesses could live here. According to legends, even birds and fish avoided this place. Philae Island is recognized as a World Heritage Site and is protected by UNESCO.

The other two islets are Biga and Agilkia. Biga, partially submerged, was considered the most sacred of all the islands. After all, it was here that Osiris himself slept in eternal sleep. No mortal had the right to set foot on the land of Biga. Only clergy could be here and perform rituals. WITH neighboring island The Fillet priests sailed to Biga.

The ritual took place on the island itself, where there were 360 tables for sacrifices. The tables were positioned in such a way that they clearly indicated the burial place of Osiris.

The Temple of Isis is one of the largest architectural monuments of Ancient Egypt of religious significance. It was built by order of Pharaoh Ptolemy II. The temple building has been well preserved to this day thanks to the improvement and expansion of its territory by subsequent generations of the royal dynasty. This was primarily due to the fact that the cult of Isis was revered throughout the history of ancient civilization.

The rays of the sun almost do not touch the altars on which the most beautiful women were sacrificed by order of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt and the priests.

Additional buildings adjacent to the Temple of Isis are the Chapel of Osiris, the Temple of Hathor (Hathor), the Temple of Augustus, the pedestal of Trajan and Diocletian.

After Christianity came to Egypt, Coptic rituals began to be held in some halls of the temple.

Finding a temple in the city of Aswan is easy. It is located in Abtal el-Tahrir Square near the Nubia Museum.

The temple complex of Philae is one of the three best preserved modern days temples from the time of Ptolemy. The island of Philae itself is about 400 meters long and about 136 meters wide. Phile is the largest island in area located in the south of the first cataract of the Nile River. So interesting geographical feature reflected in the very name of the island.

What needs to be noted here is the fact that ancient Greek name island sounded like “Pilak”, which translated into Russian means “corner”. In some historical documents of past, long-gone years, there are such names as “extreme island” or “ last island"In those distant times, the island of Philae was located not far from the eastern bank of the Nile in close proximity to a small bay, on the southern side of the first cataract of the river.

As mentioned earlier, Philae is the largest of the three islands. The other two islands are Agilkia and Bige. Agilkia is famous for the fact that it was here that the world-famous Temple of Isis was moved from the currently submerged island of Philae. The island was flooded due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam. The constant ebb and flow of the tides would gradually erode the base of the temple, which would lead to its destruction. Therefore, it was decided to move the temple to a safe place and flood the island so that the dam could withstand the onslaught of the Nile waters. Isis is the wife of the god Osiris, who, with the incredible power of her love, was able to unite the scattered parts of the body of her husband killed by his enemies, thereby resurrecting him. The tradition of those distant times required that believing Egyptians make a pilgrimage to this island at least once a year and worship the goddess Isis.

Bige, which today is a partially submerged island, was considered by the Egyptians the most sacred of all the islands (and not only these three). It was believed that the god Osiris was buried on this island. For this reason, not a single living soul of a mere mortal could set foot on the sacred soil of this island. Only priests and clergy who performed numerous rituals had the right to do this. On the island for the ritual, a countless number of tables for sacrifices were specially lined up, and the tables were positioned in such a way that they pointed to the burial place of Osiris.

The temple complex consists of a number of buildings: the temple of Nectanebo the First, the temple in honor of the goddess of love Hathor, the pavilion of Emperor Trajan, the above-mentioned temple of Isis. The Temple of Nectanebo the First is a small gazebo with fourteen columns. The construction of the pavilion dates back to the fourth century BC, so the pavilion is considered the oldest building temple complex. It is from here that a gigantic open columned hall with galleries on each side begins. The left one consists of thirty-two columns, and the right one is unfinished. At the end of the gallery rises the temple of the goddess Isis. On the surviving granite altar of the temple there is a Coptic cross of incredible size carved into it. The same symbol is located in the altar part - it is placed on top of hieroglyphs glorifying Isis.

The Temple of Hathor, also located on the island of Philae, is small in size, but this does not prevent it from causing indescribable delight and admiration for tourists with its amazing combination of Egyptian, Greek and Roman traditions. The walls of the temple are decorated with wonderful reliefs. The Temple of Hathor used to be guarded by granite lions, but they have not survived to this day.

One cannot help but pay attention to the very elegant pavilion, decorated with fourteen columns with beautiful carved capitals. This is the pavilion of Trajan - the Egyptian emperor. Thanks to its elegance, apparent weightlessness and ideal proportions, this structure has become a kind of symbol of the entire island of Philae.