Philae Temple Aswan

The Temple of Isis at Philae is one of the most beautiful in Egypt, its pylons and colonnades rising from the water’s edge on Agilkia Island. Like Abu Simbel, it was dismantled and moved stone by stone to its present island when the dams at Aswan threatened to submerge it.

A small motorboat takes you across to the island, where you can explore the temple’s courtyards and carved walls and the elegant open pavilion known as Trajan’s Kiosk, which seems to float at the water’s edge. Philae was one of the last places in Egypt where the old gods were worshipped.

Visit in the morning or late afternoon, and stay for the evening sound and light show if you can. Philae pairs well with the Aswan High Dam and a felucca ride.