Philae Temple Complex. Temple of the Egyptian goddess Isis or Isis (Pompeii) Birth house in the Temple of Isis

Name:

Location: about.File. near Aswan High Dam (Egypt)

Creation: III c. BC. (start construction)

In connection with the construction of the Aswan Platinum, the complex was dismantled and completely transferred to the island of Agilkia.

Buildings on the island

Philae Island was one of the constituent parts of the region of the first rapids, but the significance and nature of the monuments preserved here make us consider it as an independent archaeological center. Isis has been worshiped here since time immemorial, as well as Hathor, the mistress of Nubia, who returned from the scorching south in the guise of the lioness Tefnut and rested here, where she first set foot on Egyptian soil. The wife of Isis, Osiris, was also revered here, one of whose tombs was located on the neighboring island of Bige. This island became an important cult center quite late.

The blocks with the name of Taharqa prove that there was a building dating back to the XXV dynasty - the oldest building in its place, dating back to the reign of Nectaneb I. This is a small portico on the southwestern tip of the island, from which a road led to the main temple of Isis (H. Junker, E. Winter Das Geburtshaus des Tempels der Isis in Phila Vienne 1965). Washed away by a catastrophic flood, it was restored by Ptolemy Philadelphus. Behind the portico are two colonnades built by Augustus and Tiberius, of which the eastern one was left unfinished. Nearby were two temples dedicated to the Nubian deities Arensnupis and Mandulis. The third chapel, which stood at the pylon of the temple of Isis, was dedicated to Imhotep.

In front of the 45-meter pylon of the temple of Isis, there were two obelisks from the time of Euergetes II, now in England, in Kingston Hall. At the entrance there is a famous inscription in memory of the campaign of the Deze division to Siena. In the west, between the first and second pylons, there is the chapel of the Holy Conception - mammisium, founded by Euergetes II, but completed only under Tiberius. The second, 32-meter pylon is decorated, like the first one, with reliefs depicting Ptolemy Neos Dionysus (E. Vassilika. Ptolemaic Philae. Leuven, 1989). Traces of paint were preserved on the columns of the hypostyle, although for many years after the construction of the first Aswan dam and before the transfer of the temples to the island of Agilkia, Philae remained under the waters of the Nile for nine months every year. The temple itself consisted of 12 halls and a crypt, the walls of which were covered with reliefs. The stairs led to the terrace with the chapel of Osiris. The reliefs on the outer walls of the temple date back to the times of Augustus and Tiberius.
To the west of the temple of Isis, in front of the side wall of the second pylon, are the "Gate of Hadrian", decorated with reliefs from the time of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. The plots of these reliefs are associated with the cult of Osiris, and therefore this badly damaged building is sometimes mistakenly considered the chapel of Osiris.

In the north was the temple of Horendot (Horus defending his father Osiris), erected by the emperor Claudius, now completely destroyed. Further to the northeast are the ruins of the Temple of Augustus and the gates of Diocletian. To the east of the temple of Isis stands the small temple of Hathor-Aphrodite, built by Ptolemy Philometor and Ptolemy II Euergetes. To the northeast of it, on the banks of the Nile, is the most beautiful architectural structure of this island is the famous kiosk of Trajan, which looks like a portico with 14 columns. Two nilometers have also been preserved on the island, and in Coptic times a monastery and two churches were built here.

Pilgrims who visited the temple of Isis during the Ptolemaic and Roman times left a lot of graffiti here, among which was found the latest known hieroglyphic inscription, dating from 394 AD. e. On the island of Philae, Isis was also worshiped by the Nubian tribes of the Nobads and Blemmii, who raided the southern borders of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th century BC. Despite the wars that were fought in this region, Philae remained a place of peaceful coexistence between two rival systems. The priests of the militant Nubian tribes could worship Isis in her temple, and under the agreement of 443, the Nobads and Blemmii even received the right to temporarily take away the statue of the goddess to their lands. Her cult persisted here for a long time after the official Christianization of Egypt. Only under Justinian, in connection with the Christianization of Nubia, the pagan temples on the island were closed or converted for Christian worship.

The temple complex of Philae, numbering 27,000 tons and 45,000 blocks, was transferred to the island of Agilkia, the topography of which was changed for this purpose in the course of work carried out from 1972 to March 10, 1980, the date of the grand opening of the monuments in a new place . Monuments from Nubia and the flood zone of the Saad al-Ali dam were also transferred to the area of ​​the first rapids on the western bank of the reservoir.
Three dismantled monuments of Nubian sacred architecture were restored here. The most significant of them is the temple of Kalabsha, built by Emperor Augustus on the site of more ancient temple Amenhotep II. It was dismantled and moved to a new location by the FRG expedition in 1965 (H. Stock-K. Siegler, Kalabscha, Wiesbaden, 1965). The Egyptian Antiquities Service moved here a small rock sanctuary of Ramesses II from Beit el-Wali and a kiosk from Kertassi, very similar to Trajan's kiosk from the island of Philae. The stele of Psammetichus II, found in 1964, was also installed nearby, which is important from a historical point of view. Thus, in the area of ​​the first rapids, a new archaeological center was formed, consisting of monuments displaced from the territory of Nubia.

Sources:

• Margaret Murray "Egyptian Temples", 2006, Centerpolygraph
• “Description de l'Egypte, ou, Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Egypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. Atlas Geographique. 1818 AD

In continuation

Elephantine was located on the border of Egypt with Nubia. The island served as an excellent defense for the city and an excellent point for river trade. The city, lying in the southeastern part of the island, was the capital of the first nome of Upper Egypt.

Most of the monuments of Elephantine were destroyed before the 19th century, but sketches of these architectural marvels have survived to this day. On the island, were there the remains of several ancient temples, the largest of which is the temple of Khnu-ma, races - false in the southern part of the island.

From the ancient temple of Khnum and expanded during the reign of Nectaneb (allegedly in the 400s BC), as well as in the Greco-Roman era, only the foundation has survived to this day.

To the north of the Khnu-ma temple, there is a smaller temple of the goddess Satet.
During the excavations carried out from 1906 to 1909, between the temple of Khnum and the temple of Satet, a necropolis of sacred rams was found with burials of mummified rams covered with gilded cardboard cases, one of which is on display at the Nubian Museum.

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During the reign of Queen Hatshepsut, a temple was erected in honor of the goddess Satet. The temple was located in a place where the noise of the approaching masses of water could be heard even before they became visible to the eye. Thus, her function as the guardian of the borders, the mistress of the flood of the Nile, and the goddess on whom abundance and fertility depended, was strengthened.
The XII Dynasty pharaoh Amenemhat II (c. 1917-1882 BC) in the Aswan inscription called himself "Beloved of Satis, lady of Elephantine." The pharaoh of the same dynasty Senusret III (c. 1878-1841 BC) built a canal in her honor. In fact, the whole of Upper Egypt was called Ta-Satet or "Land of Satet".

Near the temple was one of the most important "nilometers" ancient egypt, with which the height of the Nile flood was measured.
The nilometer (water level meter) consists of an inclined shaft with steps leading to the Nile, the height of the water in which is marked on the measuring scales printed on the side. White marble plaques show that the Nilomere of Roman times was restored in the 19th century.
Since now, after the construction of the hydroelectric dam, the water level always remains low, the Nilomere has lost its significance.

For the first time, the name Sa-tis appears-yav-la-et-sya on jugs-shi-nah found under the step-pen-cha-that pi-rami-doy in Sak-ka-re.
Sa-tis is mentioned in the "Teks-stakh of the Py-ramids", where she purifies the dead king of the sacred water of times-li-va, with -carried in jugs-shi-nah from the island of Ele-fan-ti-na. Usually, she was represented in the form of a tall, slender woman with a white crown of Upper Egypt with a uraeus, on the sides of which usually antelope horns or feathers are found.
The temple of Sathis is decorated with amazing reliefs and several chaotic pilasters. The temple also depicts the goddess Satet herself in the crown of upper Egypt with antelope horns.

The temple of Satis was erected on the site of an even earlier pre-dynastic sanctuary, which was a cave carved into the rock. The temple was upset and decorated for many centuries.
Archaeological data testify that the island was inhabited back in the pre-dynas-ty-chess era, and the expedition did not -mets-ko-go-in-sti-tuta ar-he-olo-gyi in Ca-ira our-la under the temple of Sa-tis the remnants of more ancient temples, from-no-syaschi -esya to the pe-ri-ode of the first di-us-ty. And really, but, the peculiarity of the Sa-tis temple is zak-lu-cha-et-sya in that it was built on the times-va-lines of several ancient temples, going underground in layers, like a wedding cake.
Archaeologists are sure that under the temples of the 18th, 11th, 6th dynasty of the pharaohs, an Early Dynastic structure was found. These buildings are very different from many other temples in Egypt, where the "old" foundation structures were simply removed to build the "new" ones.

This temple of Early Dynastic structure is one of the earliest found in Egypt..
For this small sanctuary, a natural niche in the rock was used, which expanded into small rooms in which many small household items were found.

Sa-my first sanctuary from-but-sit-sya to the era of the first di-nas-ty and yes-tiru-et-sya approx-li-zitel-but 2900 year before n. e., then comes the sanctuary of the era of the Ancient Tsars-tva (2200 BC), the temple of the era of the Middle Tsars-tva (1800 BC . e.), the temple of the era of the New Tsars-tva and, finally, the restored temple of the era of Pto-Leme-ev, which can be seen this year -nya and who yes-tyru-et-sya in the second century BC. e.
The current temple was reconstructed by the German Archaeological Institute from the blocks of the last temple of the Ptolemaic era.

Different epithets of the goddess testify to the close connection of Sa-tis with the stellar world and hint at her identity -nie with Si-ri-mustache: "Lady of the stars", "Ho-son of the east-horizon-ta-ne-ba, whose glance brings joy", "great in Heaven, ruler of the stars", "Sa-tis, whose beauty os-ve-scha-is two lands."
In 1983, astronomer Ron Wells of the University of California became interested in the Sathis temple and decided to investigate its orientation. Wells knew that Sathis was closely associated with the flooding of the Nile, and thus with the heliacal rising of Sirius. The last temple of Satis on this site was built in the Ptolemaic era, and he saw (noticeable even with the naked eye) that its axis was rotated several degrees north with respect to the axis of the older temple on whose ruins it was built.
Wells realized that this shift to the north could be explained by the shift of Sirius (also north) as a result of the precession. He calculated that the Ptolemaic temple had an orientation 24,65 to the southeast, while the axis of the previous temple was located at an angle of 30.60 south of the east direction. He then found that this difference of 5.95 corresponds to the precessional displacement of Sirius during the time elapsed between the construction of the two temples.

Although the exact orientation of older temples is more difficult to calculate, it is clear that their axes are even more southerly, confirming that ancient Egyptian topographers were aware of the effect of the precession on the star Sirius and, more interestingly, were following this effect. over three millennia.

It is known that the heliacal rising of Sirius is the first appearance of a star in the sky after a long period.
The period of invisibility of Sirius begins from the moment when, after sunset, Sirius is still visible above the western horizon. In Egypt, this happens at the end of May. Thereafter the star approaches the sun and becomes invisible against the background of its bright radiance. In fact, this is due to the movement of the Earth around the Sun.
In the sky, it looks like this. During the annual movement The sun moves among the stars in a direct motion from west to east. Therefore, for stars setting at a given observation latitude, there are time intervals when they are in the daytime sky with the Sun, so we do not observe them.
Over time, the Sun moves to the east, which is why Sirius begins to rise in the morning earlier than the Sun. At some point in time, the star ceases to be lost in the rays of the morning dawn and becomes available for observation.. It is believed that on this day there was a heliacal rising of the star.

Obviously, if we observe a star rising at dawn, then the closer this moment is to sunrise, the more difficult it is to observe it. Therefore, a reasonable question arises, what time should be between the sunrises of two luminaries in order to clearly observe the rising of a star in the rays of the rising sun?
How many degrees must the Sun be below the horizon to clearly see the rising of Sirius and orient the temple to the rising of the star?

In his book Echoes from Ancient Skies, archaeoastronomer Dr. Ed Krup writes:
« After disappearing from the night sky (for seventy days), Sirius reappears at dawn, before sunrise. This event, which occurs every year, is called the heliacal rising of the star. On this day, Sirius remains visible only within a short period of time until the sky is too bright to see the star. In ancient Egypt, the annual reappearance of Sirius fell close to the summer solstice and coincided in time with the flood of the Nile. Isis, like Sirius, was the "mistress of the beginning of the year", since the Egyptian New Year was associated with this event. New Year's ceremonial texts at Dendera say that Isis is persuading the Nile to overflow its banks. The metaphor is astronomical, hydraulic and sexual, it parallels the function of Isis in myth. Sirius revives the Nile in the same way that Isis revives Osiris. It is her turn to hide from Set when Sirius leaves (for seventy days) from the night sky. She (Isis) gives life to her son Horus, and Sirius gives rise to a new year, and in the texts of Horus and New Year are identified. She is the link for the rebirth of life and order. Shining for a moment, only one morning in the summer she awakens the Nile and starts the year».
The archaeoastronomer speaks of a short period of time.

In turn, the period before sunrise or sunset is called twilight. At this time, the solar disk is not far from the horizon, and therefore part of the rays, falling into the upper layers of the atmosphere, are reflected from it to the earth's surface.
It is customary to distinguish three types of twilight: civil, navigational and astronomical, depending on the maximum angle of the Sun (the center of the solar disk) under the true horizon. The light border of twilight is 0°50′.
Most sources give the following division according to the type of twilight:

Twilight	The angle of the sun below the horizon
civil	from 0°50′ to 6°
navigational	from 6° to 12°
astronomical	from 12° to 18°

Navigational twilight. It is believed that in the interval of the angle of the Sun under the horizon from 6 ° to 12 °, all navigational stars are already clearly visible and the horizon line is still visible, which allows the navigator to use a sextant to measure the angle between celestial bodies and the visible horizon.

Astronomical twilight. In the range of the angle of the Sun below the horizon from 12° to 18°, most casual observers note that the entire sky is already completely dark and practically does not differ from the night. At this time, astronomers can easily observe celestial bodies, such as stars.
In many cases, the term "astronomical twilight" refers to all the time when the Sun is between 6 and 18°.
It can be concluded that after the Sun has plunged below 12°, the twilight illumination on the earth practically ceases and only the faint light of dawn remains in the sky.

In the time of Ptolemy, in the case of heliacal sunrises and sunsets of stars of the first magnitude, if the star and the sun were on the same horizon, then the angle of immersion of the sun below the horizon was taken equal to 11 °; if on opposite horizons, then the immersion angle was taken equal to 7°. For stars of the second magnitude, these values ​​were 14° and 8.5°.
However, one should not think that even in Egypt all the stars can be observed at the very moment when they appear above the horizon. Fogs are especially common in the mornings, so it is not uncommon, because of the constant strip of evaporation along the horizon, that only the brightest stars are visible, and the rest only when they rise 1 ° or 2 °.

The solar disk moves at an average speed of 0.25° per minute, or 15° per hour (360° per day), but the movement at sunrise and sunset is usually not at right angles to the horizon, so the duration of any interval of twilight is determined by this angle, increasing at sharper angles. The angle of the trajectory of the movement of the solar disk near the horizon depends on:
- from the geographical latitude of the place;
- from the time of year (due to changes in the angle of inclination of the earth's axis towards the Sun).
The shortest average annual duration of twilight is observed at the equator.

Astronomers state that in general in Egypt during the heliacal rising of the star Sirius, the Sun was about 10° below the horizon.
So we will accept this angular value in further calculations.

So. Satet - Sa-tis would be closely connected with the development of Ni-la and with he-li-aki-ches-kim vos-ho-house of Si-ri-usa. The last temple of Sa-tis at this place was co-built in the era of the Pto-Lemes.

Sathet temple 24°05′28″ s. sh. 32°53′12″ E d.
We are investigating its orientation using Google Earth and the StarCalc 5.72 celestial calculator for calculations.

The Temple of Satet in its current form has an orientation in azimuth114,66 degrees, or ori-en-ta-tsiu24,66 to the southeast, which corresponds to the orientation of the temple of the Ptolemaic era.

07/29/2000. Heliacal rising of Sirius. Azimuth = 108.65°.

Sirius rising - 1° (0.992) above the horizon. Horizontal coordinates - the height of the Sun is 9.63° below Sirius (8.642+0.992).
The difference between the rises of Sirius and the Sun is 42 minutes (04.34 and 05.16)

Direction to Sirius, azimuth 108.65°.

Dates (year, day) and azimuths, right ascension, declination of the heliacal rising of Sirius, based on the calculations of the celestial calculator StarCalc 5.72
Pivot table.

The temple was built according to estimates almost 5000 years ago, one of the first and was almost destroyed.
Around the 2000s BC. the heliacal rising of Sirius occurred during the summer solstice (the declination of the Sun is maximum 23.55).

Let us note that during the 500 year period (1 - 500 AD) the date of July 13 of the heliacal rising does not change. Sirius only 5 minutes later began to rise above the horizon.
It is worth noting that it was at the turn of 500 BC. the precessional course of Sirius changed direction. The azimuth (amplitude) of Sirius used to move closer to the east, after 500 years (107.52) it moves closer to the south in the sky. This is due to a similar change in the declination (latitude) of Sirius. Before this milestone, the declination of the star clearly indicated its displacement closer to the celestial equator (-16.27; -15.45). Now the star is moving south of the equator (-16.43).
All these changes are observed against the background of a linear translational shift of the Azimuth of the Sun to the eastern point of the horizon from 2000 BC to the present day (63.2; 69.03). The declination of the Sun changed steadily towards the celestial equator (+23.55; +16.43)

Based on the calculations and the foregoing, it can be stated, first of all, that no global displacements of the earth's axis, with the exception of precessional movements, did not occur.
And the changes in the declination of Sirius at the turn of the 500s AD probably occurred due to the movement of the Sirius system itself relative to the solar system.
In addition, there is not one star in the Sirius system.

Temple of Isis

The temple complex of Isis is located on the island of Philae, so it can only be reached by motor boat. A magnificent unique landscape will open before you, which is doubly beautiful at night.

If you are lucky, be sure to go to the light show in the evening, this is a magnificent, incomparable romantic spectacle.

The Temple of Isis is called the "underwater" temple due to its flooding during the construction of the Aswan Dam at the end of the 19th century.

Temple of Isis. Philae Island

Philae Island was called in ancient times Paiurek, or "Island of Time". Not only Isis was revered here, but also the goddess Hathor-Tefnut, who, according to legend, returning to Egypt from Nubia, bathed in the lake of Isis and Osiris near Philae. The sacred waters turned the enraged divine lioness first into the cat Bastet, and then into the “golden” goddess of love Hathor herself, the return of which brings the flood of the Nile and prosperity to Egypt.

The small temple of Hathor is shown in the center of this photo, and in front of it is a part of an ancient column that they wanted to turn into a millstone.

Shooting options:

lens focal length: 17 mm

f8 aperture priority mode (shutter speed was 1/160 sec)

flash was not used

sensitivity: ISO 100

Temple of Isis

In addition to general panoramic shots, pay attention to details. Each temple has something unique and interesting. For example, this shot has an interesting composition: in the foreground is a window with a relief image of Isis, in the background is a shapeless heap of stones.

Shooting options:

lens focal length: 35 mm

aperture priority mode f8 (shutter speed was 1/125 sec)

flash was not used

white balance - "daylight"

sensitivity: ISO 200

In order to restore the temple in its original form, Italian specialists sawed it into blocks in those short months when the water receded. In 1984, the last Egyptian temple was reassembled on the nearby island of Agilika, which was artificially shaped into the sacred bird of Isis, similar to the ancient Philae. And today on the blocks of the temple you can see the numbers of the parts into which it was once dismantled.

Once in the temple of Isis, it is hard to believe that this huge temple complex was moved stone by stone from a flooded island to another!

Trajan's pavilion is especially beautiful - it has become a symbol of the temple, formally not being part of it. The pavilion looks great in photographs, so be sure to take a picture as a keepsake.

The goddess Isis was the patroness of women and family relationships. Therefore, an integral part of the temple is the "house of birth", or mammizi. Here the pharaohs confirmed the legitimacy of their power, and women who wanted to have children came here to pray. The patron of women carrying children was the funny dwarf god Bes.

During the first two centuries of our era, the cult of Isis was the main rival of Christianity. He enjoyed wide popularity not only in Egypt, but also far beyond its borders. In the Greco-Roman world, Isis was called the "goddess of a thousand names."

The stories about Isis are closely intertwined with the myth of Osiris, in which Isis usually appears as a faithful and devoted spouse. After the murder of Osiris by Set, she, having found the body of her husband, buried him and, having conceived from the dead Osiris, gave birth to a son Horus, who was supposed to take revenge on Set. When Horus grew up, Isis appeared with him at the court of the gods and began to demand the royal throne for him as the legitimate son of Osiris. As a result, Isis achieved the condemnation of Set and the recognition of her son as king of Egypt.

This text is an introductory piece. From the book In the country of the pharaohs by Jacques Christian

Egyptian temple Egypt of the time of the pharaohs was a reflection of heaven on earth. Any sanctuary was filled with cosmic force, which descended to earth only if a special dwelling was prepared for it there. This home is a temple. Built by architects who own the laws of harmony,

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (FOR) of the author TSB

Temple of Ramesses II The Temple of Ramesses II, located to the northwest of the temple of his father Seti I, is quite modest, judging by what remains of it. Plafonds, the upper parts of the walls and supports have disappeared, but beautiful reliefs have come down to us. On them you can see the animals of the god Set - an oryx and

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (CO) of the author TSB

Temple of Mut The alley of sphinxes (No. 28), which follows the tenth pylon, leads to the fence of the temple of the goddess Mut (No. 29), approximately 300 m from the fence of the temple of Amun-Ra. The name Mut means "mother". The sanctuary of Mut, apparently, existed on this site as early as the Middle Kingdom. During

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (XP) of the author TSB

36. FILE. SACRED ISIS "Pearl of Egypt", "delightful island" Philae belongs to the goddess Isis. Before the construction of the first Aswan Dam, travelers could admire the beauty of this place. But the dam became a curse on the island, which for several months

From the book 100 Great Wonders of the World author Ionina Nadezhda

Temple of Nefertari A hundred meters north of the large temple of Ramses II, a sanctuary was created in honor of the great wife of the pharaoh, Queen Nefertari, “She for whom the sun shines.” Six colossi 10 m high, frozen in motion, as if emerging from a rock, form

From the book Egypt. Guide the author Ambros Eva

From the book Taj Mahal and the Treasures of India author Ermakova Svetlana Evgenievna

From the book Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions author Serov Vadim Vasilievich

Temple A temple, a place of worship intended for worship and religious rites. The types of Kh. and the history of their development are determined, in addition to cult requirements, also by the general development of architecture and building technology among various peoples in different countries.

From the book Here Was Rome. Modern walks in the ancient city author Sonkin Viktor Valentinovich

16. Solomon's Temple Although the First Temple in Jerusalem was built by King Solomon, the preparations for its construction were begun in the previous reign. King David purchased a site for the temple, made extensive preparations for building materials, drew up a plan for the temple,

From the book Encyclopedia of Slavic Culture, Writing and Mythology author Kononenko Alexey Anatolievich

**Temple of Isis from the island of Philae The northernmost of these is the **temple of Isis of the Ptolemaic era from the island of Philae (5). Now he is on the island of Agilika, but the name of the former island is still in use, and even more common. Below the old dam is a wharf, from

From the book Prague: kings, alchemists, ghosts and ... beer! author Rosenberg Alexander N.

Temple at the bottom of the abyss Temple of Kailash Nath (Lord of Kailash), named after sacred mountain, the top of which was considered the heavenly abode of Shiva, was built in a very special way. To create a temple, the builders first carved a moat in the rock in the shape of the letter “p”

From the author's book

So the temple left - everything is a temple, / The idol defeated - everything is God! From the poem “I don’t love you” (1830) by M. Yu. Lermontov (1814-1841). Allegorically: even if any shrine, authority, etc. is debunked, nevertheless there are people who have them still inspires respect and

Temple of the Virgin Mary in front of Tyn - Tyn Church Kostel Panny Marie p?ed T?pet - T?nsk? chr?m Address: Prague 1, Stare Mesto, Old Town Square. How to get there: Staromestska metro station. The Church of the Virgin Mary in front of Tyn is located in the Old Town of Prague. Initially, it consisted of settlements

In ancient times, the island of Philae was considered sacred land and was inaccessible to ordinary people. Only priestesses could live here, and even birds and fish bypassed this island. Today, Philae Island is a popular tourist site in Egypt, and the Temple complex located here is listed world heritage UNESCO.

Philae Island, often referred to as Philae, is a small island located in the middle of the Nile. The island is 400 meters long and 135 meters wide. The island is located near Aswan. Its unique Temple complex attracts not only tourists, but also archaeologists from all over the world.

Get to the island

From almost any resort in Egypt, there are organized excursions to Philae Island. But you can go here on your own. The nearest city located to the island is Aswan, from where the felucge departs, the journey time is about 10 minutes. Aswan can be reached by train, bus or local airlines. But the most picturesque option is a boat on the Nile.

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Attractions

The main attraction of the island is the Temple complex from the time of the Ptolemaic era. The complex includes such buildings - the pavilion of Trajan, the temple of Nectanebo I, the temple of Isis and the temple of the goddess Hathor. The main dominant of this complex is the temple of Isis, built in 350 BC. Situated right in the middle of the island. Next in importance is the temple of the goddess Hathor. This temple was built by order of Nectanebo I, located in the southern part of the island. To the west of the Temple of Isis is Hadrian's Gate, where the last Egyptian hieroglyphic inscription was made in 394.

After the British built the Aswan Dam in 1902, Philae Island was partially flooded, and some historical heritage was lost forever. For example, the tomb of Asiris, which remained forever under water, was never found. Between 1972 and 1980, all facilities on Philae Island were moved to Agilkia Island, which is located 500 meters upstream. It was here that an exact copy of Philae Island was created. This initiative was advocated by UNESCO in order to save the monuments of ancient Egypt. Today, twice a day, an LED show is held here, which tells the story of this Temple complex.

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The Egyptian goddess Isis serves as a model for understanding the ancient ideal of a woman. This is one of the few cults that have gone beyond the borders of Egypt. In the Hellenistic era, and then in Roman times, she was revered throughout the entire Mediterranean. Moreover, this cult was a serious rival of early Christianity.

In ancient Egypt, Isis was known as the goddess of fertility, wind, water, and navigation. She was considered a symbol of marital fidelity and femininity. The Egyptians believed that if a wife were unfaithful to her husband, Isis would surely punish her. In addition, the named goddess was included in the list of deities patronizing medicine. In some descriptions, she is also presented as the mistress of scorpions. In the myths, Isis appears as the daughter of Geb and Nut, the great-granddaughter of Ra, and also the sister and wife of Osiris.

The ancient Egyptians believed that this goddess gave people bees, created wedding dresses and taught women to reap, weave and spin. In addition, she was the patroness of women in childbirth and determined the fate of newborn kings. It was believed that the goddess is present at the birth of the future ruler, helping the queen to relieve herself from pregnancy.

The Greeks and Romans called her "the one with a thousand names." As for the meaning of the name of the goddess, it literally translates as "throne." Isis personified the power of the pharaoh and was considered the heavenly mother of the current ruler, who granted him the throne. Interestingly, Isis, like the Babylonian Ishtar, was originally an evil goddess, at enmity even with her son. But over time, she turns into a beneficent mistress, a loving wife and mother.

How was Isis portrayed?

Most often, the goddess appears in an anthropomorphic guise, that is, she looks like an ordinary woman. Most of all, the Egyptians were attracted by the image of Isis as the "divine mother". A huge number of statues and drawings have been preserved representing her mother breastfeeding her baby.

The symbol of the goddess was the royal throne, so it was often placed on her head. She sometimes looked like Hathor, who was famous for wearing a headdress framed with cow horns. The celestial manifestation of Isis was the star Sirius. Since she patronized the sailors, her images with a boat in her hands have been preserved. It is worth mentioning the veil of Isis - the veil that personifies her life force.

Isis, like her sister Nephthys, was often depicted as a falcon or a woman with wings. It was believed that with the flapping of her wings she creates the wind. In the form of a falcon, she mourned the deceased Osiris, so she was often depicted on sarcophagi as the protector of the deceased. The kneeling image of the goddess indicates that she mourns for each deceased as she once mourned her beloved husband Osiris. Isis and Osiris have always been for the Egyptians an example of the relationship between husband and wife.

How was Isis revered?

Since Isis was the patroness of women in childbirth, when a baby was born, those present offered prayers to her, and later brought gifts. This goddess was called upon in trouble, her name was pronounced to protect children and family. The Book of the Dead contains the hymns of Isis. The most common symbol of the goddess was the amulet tet, also known as the "knot of Isis". Usually it was made of red minerals.

The oldest cult center of the goddess was discovered in the northern part of the Nile Delta, and more specifically in the city of Buto. Temples of Isis were located in many Egyptian cities, but most of all she was revered in Coptos, Abydos, Dendera and on the island of Philae. In the latter area, the goddess was revered until the 6th century AD. Back in the 4th century AD. Roman emperor Diocletian visited this place, hoping to find out the future. The famous religious building was destroyed by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I.

Myths about Isis

Myths about Osiris and Isis. Most stories about Isis are closely intertwined with the legends about Osiris, her husband and brother. She usually acts as a devoted wife. In particular, after she killed Osiris, she, having found the dead body of her husband, conceived from him the son of Horus. There was an idea that the Nile was overflowing because of the tears of Isis, grieving for her husband. It was this goddess who resurrected Osiris with the help of a magic spell. According to one version, the famous Egyptian ankh cross is a combination of the symbols of Osiris and Isis.

Myths about Isis and Horus. The son of Osiris and Isis appeared in a reed nest in the swamps of the Nile Delta. Egyptian mythology details the time when Isis raised Horus. When her son grew up, she fiercely defended his rights to the royal throne and, in the end, achieved her goal. She always helped Horus in his clashes with Set. Although the mythological biography of the goddess contains a mention of how she once spoke on the side of Set. Horus did not forgive the betrayal and cut off his mother's head.

Both in Egypt and throughout the ancient world, the attitude of Isis towards Osiris and Horus was considered an example of family virtues. At the same time, the example of Isis clearly shows what high position in Egypt was occupied by a woman. For example, when Osiris went to wander the world, the wife wisely ruled the country.

The role of the cult of Isis in history

No deity of ancient Egypt, with the possible exception of Serapis, was as widely known in the Greco-Roman world as Isis. Long before our era, her temples existed in many Greek cities, and later in Rome and Pompeii. Plutarch himself wrote about her with great reverence. In the ancient world, the Egyptian goddess was identified with Athena, Persephone and Selena.

The mysteries of Isis were known in Spain, Gaul, and Britain. True, in the regions mentioned, the cult of the goddess acquired an immoral form. The most surprising thing is that the described cult was of considerable importance for the formation of Christian dogma. The image of the Mother of God with a baby in her arms, revered by most Christian denominations, goes back to the image of Isis with the baby Horus.