It’s a running joke among travelers on certain OAT trips that OAT stands for “Oh, another temple.” While our riverboat remained docked in Aswan, we didn't want to miss the well-preserved temples of Philae. Their original location was Philae Island, which was south of Aswan, near the traditional border between Egypt and Nubia. When the Aswan Low Dam was built in 1902, the temples were under water every year during the high-water season. Realizing that the temple complex would be completely submerged year-round with construction of the Aswan High Dam, UNESCO coordinated the efforts of several countries who worked together to relocate the temples to higher ground. To do this, the temples were disassembled block by block. Each of the 40,000 to 50,000 blocks was labeled as it was removed so that the structures could be reassembled in their new location.
The temples of Philae now stand on Agilkia Island, downstream from the High Dam and Lake Nasser. Since the new location is only about 8 kilometers south of Aswan, we took a short drive and then a 10-minute motorboat ride to reach the island. This is how it looked as we approached from the water shortly before 9am.
Most of the temple complex was built during the Greco-Roman period. The primary temple is dedicated to Isis, the goddess of motherhood, magic, and healing. It was built over a period of several years beginning during the reign of Ptolemy II (285-246 BCE). The temple’s Hellenistic architecture is a blend of classical Egyptian and Greco-Roman elements. It remained active even after Egypt was officially Christian. The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I ended pagan worship at the site in the mid-6th century CE.
In antiquity, Philae island was sacred to both the Egyptians and the Nubians, who had adopted the worship of Osiris and his wife Isis from the ancient Egyptians. According to myth, the heart of Osiris was buried on the tiny islet of Bigeh, a literal stone’s throw from Philae. Shrines on Philae to Osiris and Isis drew pilgrims to the island.
Philae Island came under attack by the Nubians in the 4th century BCE, when Egypt was experiencing political instability. The Ptolemaic era began at the end of the century. In the late 3rd century BCE, to strengthen the defenses of Philae and to discourage Nubian incursions, Ptolemy IV enlarged the military garrison and established a town on the island.
Even though it wasn’t yet 9am, there were already plenty of tourists at the temple complex. The carvings at the entrance were remarkably well-preserved.
The temple features two long colonnades.
This is just a section of carving that I thought was quite lovely. It was in a part of the main temple called the Birth House. In fact, notice the two figures seated on birthing chairs.
Hussein pointed out an unusual feature in the Birth House. The capitals of the columns here feature the head of the goddess Hathor, protector of women in childbirth. As you look from one column to the next (right to left in the photo), the face of Hathor seems to change gradually from a neutral expression to an actual smile. Is this perhaps to show her happiness at giving birth?
He also called our attention to the last known ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic text. It was written by the temple’s high priest in the year 394 CE.
The last known dated example of demotic script (the writing used by ordinary Egyptians) was also found here. It dates back to 452 CE. You can also see slash marks made by Roman soldiers when they used this wall to sharpen their swords.
In 430 CE, the Romans sent an army to end pagan worship at the Isis temple. In order to transform the temple into a church, Coptic Christians scratched out the faces and feet of figures in the carvings and added crosses to the columns.
Because the ancient Egyptians were already familiar with the trinity of father (Osiris), mother (Isis), and son (Horus), they may have been receptive to Christianity with its own trinity. Furthermore, images of Isis nursing her son Horus (such as the one in the photo below) call to mind the Christian images of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus.
The oldest structure from Philae is the Kiosk of Nectanebo I, who reigned from 380-362 BCE. Only six of its original 14 columns remain standing. Above their floral capitals, the face of Hathor appears on square blocks.
Two separate structures stand nearby on the banks of the Nile. The temple of Hathor is on the left and the Kiosk of Trajan is on the right.
The temple of Hathor, the cow goddess, is just east of the temple of Isis. Hathor is also the goddess of music, and carvings from the inside walls show players of the flute, the lyre, the drum and the harp. Note the dwarf god Bes with the harp and drum.
On the screens between the columns, the emperor Augustus is shown making offerings to the goddess Hathor.
The Kiosk of Trajan, the Roman emperor who reigned 98 to 117CE, is a rectangular structure whose 14 columns feature floral capitals. Trajan’s cartouche appears on the interior walls, but the structure may actually date back to the era of the emperor Augustus, about 100 years earlier.
Another structure on the site is the so-called Gate of Hadrian, located just west of the temple of Isis. Relief sculptures show the Roman emperors Hadrian (117-138 CE) and Marcus Aurelius (161-180CE).
In addition, we noticed quite a bit of graffiti in Latin, doubtless left behind by Roman soldiers.
I was tempted by some of the colorful Nubian-made items for sale at the motorboat dock but there was no time for shopping.
Back in Aswan, Hussein brought us to the recently restored spice market. We munched on a popular Egyptian snack, roasted peanuts with honey and sesame seeds, while learning about several different herbal tea mixtures and spices. I ended up buying a bag of fragrant apple tea.
Before leaving the market, I glanced at the beautiful textiles. Alas, I’m not in the market for more home furnishings.
As soon as we boarded the Nefertiti, we started cruising north to Kom Ombu. I spent a peaceful hour or so on my balcony watching the Nile scenery pass by.
In the mid-afternoon, while we were cruising, the head chef offered a cooking lesson.
First, with the help of some of the travelers, he created a delicious eggplant dish which reminded me of baba ganouj. The recipe included ground coriander and cumin, extra virgin olive oil, white vinegar, garlic, parsley, and cilantro. It should be refrigerated 2-3 hours before serving. I will definitely try to make this at home.
Next, he prepared koshary, sometimes called Egyptian’s national dish. The base is a carb-heavy mixture of rice, lentils, and small pasta. The koshary has a topping of crispy fried onions and a scattering of chickpeas. A highly seasoned tomato sauce is served alongside to spoon over the dish. In the photo below, the koshary is on the left with tomato sauce in a separate dish; the eggplant dish is on the right.
The dessert the chef prepared was Om Ali, Egypt’s elaborate calorie-laden national dessert. To call it a bread pudding wouldn’t be doing it justice. Hot liquid (a mixture of whole milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and optional spices such as cinnamon and cardamom) is poured over a base of baked dough, which can be puff pastry, phyllo, or even torn up croissants. Then it’s topped with a generous layer of pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, raisins, and coconut. Next, a layer of heavy cream is poured over the top and the whole dish is baked until the surface turns golden brown and bubbly. And yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds.
(before adding cream on top) after baking and ready to serve
Shortly after the cooking lesson, the Nefertiti docked at Kom Ombu, about 45 kilometers north of Aswan. The city dates back to prehistoric times. It was one of ancient Egypt’s richest cities since its strategic location allowed it to control the trade between Egypt and Nubia. Hussein told us that during the time of the Ptolemies and Romans, it was a center for the training of elephants for the army. The Egyptians imported elephants from India because they were easier to control than the African elephants.
It was late in the afternoon when we set out to visit the Kom Ombu temple, and the sun was already low in the sky. The temple dates back mostly to Ptolemaic period (180-47 BCE) and the Hellenistic influence is noticeable in the figures, whose bodies are more defined and exposed. The Kom Ombu temple is actually a double temple dedicated to two gods, which makes it unique among Egyptian temples which generally are dedicated to a single god. It’s symmetrical in design, with two identical entrances and hypostyle halls. The north side is dedicated to Horus, the Elder, the falcon-headed god of the sky and healing, while the south side is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god of fertility and the Nile. Just like in earlier times, thousands of crocodiles live just offshore in the shallow waters of the Nile. In ancient Egypt, they represented the seemingly opposing forces of divine protection and terrible destruction, just like the river.
Hussein pointed out the Nilometer, a deep circular stone well that allowed the Egyptians to measure the Nile’s water levels. This allowed them to predict the level of annual flooding and, in turn, to set the tax rate. He then called our attention to the method used by the ancient Egyptians to join blocks of stone together with dovetail shaped pieces of wood.
Well preserved wall carvings featured scenes attesting to the ancient Egyptian’s knowledge of medicine. Among the instruments shown were forceps, a bone saw, and scalpels. Hussein told us that ancient Egyptians performed surgery, they used opium as an anesthetic.
This photo shows the goddess Isis on a birthing chair, delivering her son Horus.
Other reliefs show pharaohs making offerings to the gods.
I was baffled by the scene below until my friend John, who has studied ancient Egypt extensively, explained that it depicts Thoth (ibis-headed) and Horus (falcon-headed) pouring purifying water, shown as ankh and was symbols, on Ptolemy XII as part of his coronation.
In the next carving, we see the two gods to whom the double temple is dedicated. The god on the right is Sobek, the crocodile-headed god of the Nile. On the left is a falcon-headed Horus the Elder with a solar disk and a cobra on his head.
I was intrigued by this beautiful relief carving with multiple figures. And thank you once again to John for helping me decipher it. From left to right we see Thoth, the ibis-headed god of wisdom, magic, writing, and the moon; Hathor; the pharaoh; Sekhmet, the lion-headed goddess of war, destruction, and healing; the falcon-headed god Horus with the double crown of Egypt; and finally Sokar, the falcon-headed guardian of the underworld and patron of craftsmen. All the gods, with the exception of Hathor and Sokar, are carrying the ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life. Sokar is carrying the Was-scepter, which is a symbol of power and divine authority.
I’m glad I saw this carving of captives. Hussein explained that when the Egyptians brought back captives from war, they dislocated their shoulders to keep them under control. Once they returned to Egypt, they relocated the shoulders of the captives.
It was quite dark by the time we concluded our visit to Kom Ombu temple, and dramatic lighting made the ancient ruins seem to glow from within.
Our tickets to the Kom Ombu site included entrance to the Crocodile Museum where we saw a number of mummified crocs. I hope you don’t want to see the mummies, because I didn’t take any pictures of them. However, I thought this object, a votive offering to Sobek that dates back to the time of the New Kingdom pharaoh Amenhotep III (1410-1372 BCE), was interesting.
We were back on the boat in plenty of time for festive dinner of Egyptian specialties, which included the dishes we had learned to prepare at our cooking lesson.
After a full day of activities, I decided not to attend the post-dinner galabiya costume party. I needed to restore my energy for the following day’s visit to Edfu, where we’d see – you guessed it – another ancient temple.
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