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Philae Island was a rocky island in the middle of the River Nile, south of Aswan. Another name for it is Elephantine Island (from the Greek) probably because it was an important centre for trade in Ivory.
The Ancient Egyptians built a beautiful and magnificent temple on this island for the Goddess Isis but it became submerged after the first Aswan dam was built in 1906. However it was not until after the New Dam was constructed in 1971, which would stabilise the level of the River Nile's water, could the temple be saved. The new island was called Egilica and was completely reshaped to imitate Philae Island as closely as possible. The Temple of Philae was reopened in 1980.
The Temple of Isis is one of the greatest in Egypt and occupies about a quarter of the island and is built in the same style as the Temples of the New Kingdom.
In addition to the main Temple of Isis there are other monuments ie: The Kiosk of Trajan, the Chapel of Osiris, The Temple of Horus, The Temple of Hathor, The Gateway of Tiberium, the Gateway of Diocletian and the Temple of Augustus.
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