Philae (Temple of Isis)

Philae is a tiny island that is about 450 meters long and less than 150 meters wide. It is originally situated near the expansive First Cataract of the Nile in Upper Egypt, and it is the house of the Temple of Isis. The temple was built during Ptolemy II's reign, which can be described as Egypt’s Greco-Roman Period as well was dedicated to the Egyptian gods' Isis, Osiris, and Horus. The scenes from the mythological story of these gods can be seen on the walls of the temple. The construction of the temple was completed during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, however the decorations date back to the later Ptolemies; those of the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius, but have never been completed. The new Aswan Dam, which was finished in 1970, was damaging the island with the floods. The Egyptian government and UNESCO work together to save the island and the temple. They relocated the temple stone by stone to a nearby island, Agilka. Today, the original temple can be visited in its new home.