Philae Island and Temple

Location	24.01 N - 32.53 E Upper Egypt - immediately south of the first cataract and the city of Aswan Nile island
Nome	Land of the arch - the 1st nome of Upper Egypt
Type of Settlement	Religious Center
Local deity	Isis and Osiris , her husband.
Ancient name	Pawareq
Arabic name	Anas el Wagud
Historical Development	The oldest building is the portico of Nectanebo I ,from the 30th dynasty. In the Ptolemaic Period the temple was constructed over a three-century period starting from Ptolemy II Philadelphus, The temple was dedicated Isis and had monumental pylons, the small temple of Hathor and the kiosk of Trajan where the processions accosted. Philae was the last bastion of ancient Egyptian religion and Egyptian Writing usage. The temple of Isis and the other temples, are no longer at the island of Philae, which was inundated by the Aswan dam in the 1960s. But with the help of Unesco all the monuments were transported to the nearby island of Aglika.
Temple Layout	1) The entrance is fronted by the first Great Pylon - It stands 45 meters broad and 20 meters high, consisting of two towers and a gate between them. 2) just beyond the first Pylon is the forecourt of the temple 3) In the forecourt itself on the left, is the birth-house, or mammisi, The birth-house is an essential feature of the temples build during the Ptolemaic Period. A colonnade surrounds three sides of the birth-house, with floral column capitals surmounted by sistrum capitals with Hathor heads. 4) On the right side of the forecourt is a colonnade with floral and palm leaf capitals that support a cornice, There are six doorways that lead through the rear wall of the colonnade to small annex chambers. 5) The second Great Pylon which stands 35 meters wide and 13 meters tall, and is set at a different angle than the first Pylon. Shallow steps leads to the gateway. 6) The hypostyle hall - contains ten columns. The ceiling is illustrated with the vulture (the sign of upper and lower egypt) and the barques of day and night 7) Three antechambers - One of the western antechambers contains a staircase which leads to a chapel dedicated to the god Osiris. 8) Isis Sanctuary - it still contains a pedestal where the sacred barque used in the processions and festivals of the goddess would have rested