Egipto. Templo de Philae. Asuán
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 2.71 mi
- Elevation gain
- 92 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 92 ft
- Max elevation
- 439 ft
- TrailRank
- 47
- Min elevation
- 371 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 2 hours 36 minutes
- Coordinates
- 773
- Uploaded
- May 27, 2022
- Recorded
- November 2019
near Ash Shallāl, Aswan (Egypt)
Viewed 361 times, downloaded 8 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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All tourists who arrive in Aswan (Aswan) visit the Philae/Philae temple. An ancient temple that was located on the island of Philae. This and other temples such as Abu Simbel, had to be dismantled stone by stone and placed in another location so that it would not be flooded by the Nile River. In this case, the island of Agilkia, a few hundred meters away.
Dedicated to Isis, the goddess of love, it is part of the Legend of the triad of Isis, Osiris and Horus. According to the story, Isis, after resurrecting Osiris, took refuge in Philae fleeing from her evil brother-in-law Seth and raised Horus there. When he became powerful he was able to defeat his uncle in Edfu (temple consecrated to his great deed). For centuries he was thanked that with his tears, he continued to make the waters of the Nile grow, with which came the subsequent harvests and the wealth of this part of Africa.
When the Aswan Low Dam was created in 1902, part of the complex was flooded and remained so for about 70 years. Proof of this is that even today the water mark is still noticeable on its walls. At that time, travelers visiting Philae had to do so by boat and sometimes navigate between the temple walls. When the construction of the new dam was considered, it became clear that Philae would be submerged under the waters of the Nile. That was when UNESCO created its international campaign to save the monuments of the Nubian region, which included Abu Simbel and Philae.
The temple can be reached by boat after 5 minutes of navigation through the Aswan Dam (Nile River). To take the boat we first have to pass the shopping area, something common in Egypt, and after this cross a gate that gives access to the port of the Aswan dam. Once we get to the island.
Philae is built during the Ptolemaic era, as is Edfu. It was used for centuries, in Hellenistic and Roman times, as the cult of Isis spread throughout the Mediterranean until it was banned by Justinian I in 535 AD For this reason, it has gone through many stages of construction, from the 4th century BC to the III AD when some addition was still made, such as Trajan's kiosk.
After the ban on the worship of other gods, the temple suffers numerous harassments by Christians who, as in Edfu, bite the faces of the images, reliefs and engravings. In the hispostile hall of Philae they install a chapel, carving the altar in the very walls of the temple.
The mural decorations outside the temple depict the Ptolemaic kings defeating and massacring their enemies. Inside, the engravings and reliefs are more orthodox, relating to worship and offerings to the gods. The story of Hathor's birth is also told.
The Philae temple is not the only construction, in addition to the temple there are several additions.
The Temple of Hathor. This small temple attached to the main temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, wife of Horus and goddess of motherhood. Represented on its capitals with its human face with cow ears, it is one of the constructions in which the passage of water through the temple is perfectly appreciated. The entrance is closed but you can see the interior perfectly and how far the Nile reached when it decided to invade the island.
You will find the kiosk or pavilion of Trajan as soon as you leave the temple, before returning to the pier. Trajan was not the only Roman emperor who wanted to build in Philae, but he was the one who did it most spectacularly. The pavilion is a beautiful arcaded kiosk, overlooking the Nile (now the dam) from towering columns decorated with acanthus leaves. Inside you can see, engraved in relief, the emperor himself delivering offerings to the gods.
The Unfinished Obelisk of Aswan is one of the visits that you can do from the city if you have a little time. It has been abandoned in the quarries of Aswan for more than 3,000 years. It is a 40-meter-long granite mass that, if completed, would be the largest piece carved from a single block of stone in history. Apparently, the appearance of an inopportune crack caused its abandonment.
The Aswan Dam visit is another one of those quick but interesting visits. The dam is one of the great engineering works of the 20th century and, thanks to it, most of the electricity consumed by the country is generated.
The Aswan High Dam was built due to the enormous floods of the Nile that periodically devastated the cities and towns along its banks, causing uncontrolled floods and droughts. The dam can only be visited from the outside but it is a nice addition when returning from Philae. Its 110 meters high give quite an impression but above all it is amazing to see the difference in the water level between both sides of the dam.
Dedicated to Isis, the goddess of love, it is part of the Legend of the triad of Isis, Osiris and Horus. According to the story, Isis, after resurrecting Osiris, took refuge in Philae fleeing from her evil brother-in-law Seth and raised Horus there. When he became powerful he was able to defeat his uncle in Edfu (temple consecrated to his great deed). For centuries he was thanked that with his tears, he continued to make the waters of the Nile grow, with which came the subsequent harvests and the wealth of this part of Africa.
When the Aswan Low Dam was created in 1902, part of the complex was flooded and remained so for about 70 years. Proof of this is that even today the water mark is still noticeable on its walls. At that time, travelers visiting Philae had to do so by boat and sometimes navigate between the temple walls. When the construction of the new dam was considered, it became clear that Philae would be submerged under the waters of the Nile. That was when UNESCO created its international campaign to save the monuments of the Nubian region, which included Abu Simbel and Philae.
The temple can be reached by boat after 5 minutes of navigation through the Aswan Dam (Nile River). To take the boat we first have to pass the shopping area, something common in Egypt, and after this cross a gate that gives access to the port of the Aswan dam. Once we get to the island.
Philae is built during the Ptolemaic era, as is Edfu. It was used for centuries, in Hellenistic and Roman times, as the cult of Isis spread throughout the Mediterranean until it was banned by Justinian I in 535 AD For this reason, it has gone through many stages of construction, from the 4th century BC to the III AD when some addition was still made, such as Trajan's kiosk.
After the ban on the worship of other gods, the temple suffers numerous harassments by Christians who, as in Edfu, bite the faces of the images, reliefs and engravings. In the hispostile hall of Philae they install a chapel, carving the altar in the very walls of the temple.
The mural decorations outside the temple depict the Ptolemaic kings defeating and massacring their enemies. Inside, the engravings and reliefs are more orthodox, relating to worship and offerings to the gods. The story of Hathor's birth is also told.
The Philae temple is not the only construction, in addition to the temple there are several additions.
The Temple of Hathor. This small temple attached to the main temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, wife of Horus and goddess of motherhood. Represented on its capitals with its human face with cow ears, it is one of the constructions in which the passage of water through the temple is perfectly appreciated. The entrance is closed but you can see the interior perfectly and how far the Nile reached when it decided to invade the island.
You will find the kiosk or pavilion of Trajan as soon as you leave the temple, before returning to the pier. Trajan was not the only Roman emperor who wanted to build in Philae, but he was the one who did it most spectacularly. The pavilion is a beautiful arcaded kiosk, overlooking the Nile (now the dam) from towering columns decorated with acanthus leaves. Inside you can see, engraved in relief, the emperor himself delivering offerings to the gods.
The Unfinished Obelisk of Aswan is one of the visits that you can do from the city if you have a little time. It has been abandoned in the quarries of Aswan for more than 3,000 years. It is a 40-meter-long granite mass that, if completed, would be the largest piece carved from a single block of stone in history. Apparently, the appearance of an inopportune crack caused its abandonment.
The Aswan Dam visit is another one of those quick but interesting visits. The dam is one of the great engineering works of the 20th century and, thanks to it, most of the electricity consumed by the country is generated.
The Aswan High Dam was built due to the enormous floods of the Nile that periodically devastated the cities and towns along its banks, causing uncontrolled floods and droughts. The dam can only be visited from the outside but it is a nice addition when returning from Philae. Its 110 meters high give quite an impression but above all it is amazing to see the difference in the water level between both sides of the dam.
Waypoints
Waypoint
383 ft
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