Philae temple & Motorboat Tour to Nubian Village

The original island is now completely submerged under the waters of Lake Nasser. But in a spectacular rescue operation, the great temples and monuments of Philae were pulled out of the water and re-erected on a nearby island, now renamed Philae.

The earliest building on the island of Philae was a small temple to Isis built in about 370 BC by Napktnebef Kheperkare (Nectanebo I). This was later expanded into a great Temple of Isis by a number of rulers, most notably Ptolemy II Philadelphius (285-246 BC) and Diocletian (284-305 AD).

What to See at Philae
(1) The Great Temple of Isis:

Outer Court, which dates from the end of the Ptolemaic period or the reign of Augustus
The first pylon is 150ft (45.5m) wide and 60ft (18m) high. It consists of two towers and a central doorway, which was decorated
with reliefs by Nectanebo.
The east colonnade is unfinished, with only 6 of 16 columns completed. The others are roughly hewn with unfinished capitals.
The west colonnade is 305ft (93m) long and has 31 (originally 32) plant columns 17ft (5.10m) high, with capitals in a variety of forms.
The second pylon is 105ft (32m) wide and 40ft (12m) high and covered in reliefs. Those on the central doorway are by Euergetes II.
The vestibule of the Temple of Isis has eight columns and was originally separated from the court by screens between the columns on the front. The vestibule and court were later transformed into a Christian church: Coptic crosses are incised in the walls and a Greek inscription states that "this good work" was done in the time of Bishop Theodore (during the reign of Justinian). Above the door is an inscription commemorating the archeological expedition sent to Philae in 1841 by Pope Gregory XVI.
The striking Hypostyle Hall conisists of ten huge pillars. Once beautifully painted, the pillars symbolize the first plants, trees and flowers of the earth which began to grow on the Primeval Mound (symbolized by the temple floor). On the ceiling (representing the sky), are images of the Day Boat and the Night Boat, and of the vultures of Upper and Lower Egypt.
(2) The Birth House (Mammisi). This was dedicated to Hathor-Isis in honor of the birth of her son Horus and was where the king conducted rituals securing his legitimate decendency from Horus.

(3) The small Temple of Hathor, built by Philometor and Euergetes II in honor of Hathor-Aphrodite. The vestibule and the sanctuary (now destroyed) were later added by Augustus.

(4) The Kiosk of Trajan. It dates from the Roman Imperial period, but was left unfinished: the capitals of the plant columns were intended to be surmounted by sistrum capitals.

The famous colorful Nubian village is about 3 miles south of Aswan, Egypt on the west bank of the Nile River. We will get to the Nubian Village from Aswan in 25-minutes by a motor boat ride down the Nile River.

This little village is a preserved isle of one of the oldest civilizations in history. Nubian tribes have not only conserved their ancient traditions but also the Nubian language – which is only spoken and has no official alphabet.

What to do at the Nubian Village:
(1) Admire the Colors

One of the best things to do in the Nubian Village is just wander around, explore, and admire all the beautifully painted rainbow buildings Spend a few moments wandering and peek the graffiti plastered on all the homes and buildings.

(2) See the Pet Alligators!

As crazy as it sounds, many of the Nubian people have real, live alligators as pets in their home! One of the main tourist attractions in Nubia is the alligator house. You will recognize it from all the alligators painted on it! They will gladly show you their pet alligators if you ask. If you go inside to see the alligators, be prepared to tip before you leave.

(3) Buy Spices

Nubia is famous for their spices. All of the shops in Nubia are selling spices. If you’re looking for a unique souvenir that someone will actually use, consider bringing back some authentic Nubian spices.

The busy market sells everything from spices, locally roasted nuts, souvenirs, trinkets, Nubian dolls and attires.