Agilkia Island Philae Temple, Egypt
Frequently Asked Questions
By boat only. From the marina south of Aswan, about twelve kilometres from the centre, motor launches thread for around ten minutes among the black granite rocks of the Nile to Agilkia Island.
No. After the Aswan dams were built, the sacred island of Philae spent most of the year underwater. In the 1970s a UNESCO campaign dismantled the complex into tens of thousands of blocks and rebuilt it identically on neighbouring Agilkia Island, reshaped for the purpose. The work finished in 1980.
Isis, goddess of magic and mother of Horus, worshipped far beyond Egypt and throughout the Roman Empire, where her mysteries were among the most followed cults. Philae was her great sanctuary for a thousand years.
Past the first pylon, the inner court leads to the mammisi, a chapel celebrating divine births, then to the hypostyle hall and the sanctuary. The reliefs — offerings, coronations, sacred barques — can be read almost without a guide.
It was carved in 394 CE on a temple wall, and it is the last known hieroglyphic inscription. The quiet farewell of a script three and a half thousand years old.
A Roman-era pavilion at the water's edge, left without a roof, whose fourteen elegant columns carry floral capitals. It has become the emblem of the island and the photographers' favourite subject, especially from the boats on arrival.
An hour and a half to two hours on site to take it in without rushing. The full circuit of Agilkia is an easy walk, among bougainvillea, carved blocks and openings onto the granite shores.
Morning, for soft light on the pylons and heat that is still bearable. But the last crossing of the day holds another pleasure: the groups thin out, swallows circle the capitals and the granite takes on a honeyed tone.
Yes, on some evenings, a popular option during overnight stays in Aswan. The temple is illuminated and access is still by boat.
About twenty minutes by road from central Aswan and the cruise quays, then roughly ten minutes across the water by launch.
