Philae from the East, 1992. Between 1972 and 1980, an international rescue operation saved the temples of Philae from the rising waters of Lake Nasser (which eventually submerged the island) and deposited them on the small island of Agilkia to the northwest, which is pictured here. Most of the buildings were erected in the last two centuries BC and the first century AD. The layout of ancient Philae on Agilkia is not complete. Several structures remain on the sunken Philae with the intent to recover them at a later date.
The Temple of Isis (center), oriented from north to south, with its extraordinary double pylons, was the architectural climax of Philae. The temple was entered from the south (left), first by going through its outer court, flanked by colonnades. After passing through the forecourt between the first and second pylons, one enters the temple proper, which consists of a vestibule, several antechambers, a sanctuary, and subsidiary chapels. The colonnaded structure below the temple is a kiosk of the Roman Period.
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