Philae Island, is an island in the middle of the Nile River and is one of the strongest fortresses along Egypt's southern borders. It separates the Nile into two opposite channels in Aswan. It had an Philae Temple and was moved from its original place on Philae Island and was assembled on Agelica Island, following the construction of the High Dam.
The name Philae or Philae goes back to the Greek language, which means (the beloved) or (the granules). As for the Arabic name for it, it is Anas Al-Wujud, in reference to the legend of Anas found in the stories of One Thousand and One Nights. As for the ancient Egyptian and Coptic name, it is Belak or Belach, which means the limit or the end because it was the last border. Egypt in the south. The cult group was dedicated to the worship of the goddess Isis, but the island contained temples to Hathor, Amenhotep and other temples.
Elephants through the centuries.
The Philae temples were originally built to worship the goddess Isis.
In all centuries, elephants gained a special place in cults to the point that crowds of followers of that cult would gather to commemorate the story of the death and resurrection of Osiris.
The Great Temple was built during the third century BC, followed by the temples of Amenhotep and Arsenovis. As for the Temple of Hathor, it is considered the last Ptolemaic monument, and its construction was completed before 116 BC by Euergetes II. Other Ptolemies added inscriptions to elephants, which are considered one of the masterpieces of the temple. From Egypt, the worship of the goddess Isis extended to Greece and Rome and to various parts of the empire. Even when Roman rule was implemented in Egypt, the rulers tried to beautify the Holy Island. Emperor Augustus Caesar built a temple at the northern end of Philae in the ninth century BC. As for Tiberius and others, they added monuments and inscriptions, and Claudius, Trajan, Hadrian, and Diocletian built new buildings on the island, and work on them continued until the fourth century AD.
Due to the strong dominance of the cult of Isis on the island of Philae, this led to the extension of that cult over many centuries, in defiance of the decree of Emperor Theodosius I, which he issued in 391 AD, imposing the Christian religion on all parts of the Roman Empire. In the year 550 AD, under the rule of Justinian, Christianity arrived on the island of Philae and a new page in its history began. A new Christian community was formed on the island of Philae, and the Hypostyle Hall was transformed to be suitable for practicing the new religion. Stones were transported from some monuments to build Christian churches on the island. A new village grew around the Temple of Isis.
When Islam came, Philae was considered a legendary fortress represented in one of the stories of One Thousand and One Nights, and it gained the name Anas Al-Wujud after the name of the hero of one of these stories from One Thousand and One Nights.
Philae Temple.
This temple dedicated to the goddess Isis, which was flooded by the waters of the Nile, was divided and reassembled in a new location above Egilika Island, about 500 meters away from its original place on Philae Island. Its buildings include a temple to Hathor, and the visitor can watch the sound and light show at night, which is presented in different languages.
Egypt was a prosperous part of the Roman Empire. It became truly wealthy and several new cities were built there. One of the most famous facilities in Egypt in the Roman era was the so-called Pharaoh’s Bed, i.e. Trajan’s Kiosk, and this monument was built on the island of Philae by Trajan, the Roman ruler.
Temples on Philae Island.
A large number of temples were erected on the island of Philae, perhaps the oldest of which dates back to the reign of King Thutmose III (1490-1436 BC). In the fourth century BC, King Nectanebf (378-341 BC) built a huge temple, and after him, Ptolemy Philadelphus (third century BC) built his great temple. Then many Ptolemaic kings and Roman governors followed him until the island of Philae was crowded with temples. The most famous of them is the one called “Pharaoh’s chamber.”
There are also a large number of statues of ancient Egyptian kings on Philae Island.
The first ruins on Philae Island date back to the reign of King Taharqa (Twenty-Fifth Dynasty). The Temple of Isis is one of the largest and most important ruins among the group of large and small temples on Philae Island. This temple occupies about a quarter of the area of the island. Among the other ruins on Philae Island is the shrine of “Nectanebo I.” (Thirtieth Dynasty), two rows of columns dating back to the Roman era, a Greco-Roman temple of Arisnovis, a temple of Mandulis (from the Roman era), and the Temple of Imhotep (from the Ptolemaic era). Among the most important small temples surrounding the large group of temples is the Temple of Hathor (Ptolemaic era). And Trajan's cabin.
Egilica Island.
Egilika Island, which is five hundred meters away from the site of Philae Island, was reshaped and the various temples from the sunken Philae Island were transferred to it so that it resembles Philae Island.
Saving the Temple of Isis on Philae Island.
Since the completion of the construction of the first Aswan Dam in 1902, the waters of the Nile have surrounded Philae Island for most of the year, due to the island’s valuable archaeological reserve, which includes temples, shrines, columns, and Pharaonic gates, all of which embody Roman, Greek, and Pharaonic architectural styles.
Nectanebo, who was considered one of the last original kings of Egypt, built a temple on the island of Philae in the first half of the fourth century BC. After him came the Ptolemies, who ruled the country for 300 years and embraced the worship of Isis, adding their own shrines to the island.
The construction of the High Dam radically changed the situation. Since the island would be located between the new dam and the old dam, it would become partially submerged, but all year round.
In addition, the daily withdrawal of water to drive the turbines that generate electricity may mean the presence of continuous ripples at approximately 3 meters of the water level, which in turn leads to rapid destruction of the stones. Therefore, failure to find a solution to this problem would have led to this floating island that has long been hidden. Tourist souls are disappearing from the map.
When the problem of Philae Island was raised as an urgent problem, the response to the Nuba campaign was rapid, which reflected the determination of the international community to save the region.