The Temple of Isis on Philae, constructed primarily during the Ptolemaic period and completed under Roman rule, served as the central sanctuary of the larger complex and was one of the last active pagan cult centers in the ancient world. The temple's architecture adheres to the traditional Egyptian model, featuring pylons, open courtyards, a hypostyle hall, and an inner sanctuary housing the sacred barque of Isis. Its detailed relief carvings depict scenes from Egyptian mythology, particularly the myth of Isis and Osiris, along with portraits of Ptolemaic and Roman rulers offering to the deities, reflecting cultural syncretism during the Greco-Roman era.

The temple's significance as a pilgrimage site for both Egyptians and Nubians continued into the 6th century CE, until its closure by Byzantine emperor Justinian I and subsequent conversion into a church. In the 20th century, UNESCO dismantled and reassembled the temple on nearby Agilkia Island to protect it from rising waters caused by the Aswan High Dam.

circa 350 BCE

Forecourt
The forecourt or the 'dromos' is the large, paved, trapezoidal area in front of the Temple of Isis. The forecourt leads to the first pylon of the Great Temple of Isis. Containing various structures, it is flanked by two colonnades on its eastern and western ends.

circa 350 BCE

Western Colonnade in the Forecourt
The western and south-western side of the forecourt was expanded during the Ptolemaic period. Walls were built on the extreme edge of the rock ont this part of the Island, to make chambers that were filled with earth and lose stones and then covered with paving stones. Further construction took place under emperor Augustus, when the open terrace was transformed in to a closed courtyard bordered by a 32 column portico with a series of intricately carved capitals. A number of windows were set in to the existing outer wall. The cornice over the columns was decorated with depictions of sun-disk and vultures spreading their wings. The 77 meters long western colonnade with 32 columns and 12 openings in the rear wall was subsequently decorated under Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero as well. It continued to serve as a pronaos of the sanctuaries located on the neighboring abaton.

circa 350 BCE

Eastern Colonnade in the Forecourt
The eastern (right) colonnade with 16 columns is unfinished and dates back to the Roman period. The 42 meter long, largely unfinished first eastern colonnade with 16 columns functioned as a common vestibule for the sanctuaries located behind the rear wal, which were accessible through six doors. There's a series of minor sanctuaries dedicated to Arsenouphis, Mandoulis, and Imhotep, at the rear of the Roman colonnade. The court, perhaps inspired by Hellenistic public spaces was created under Ptolemy VI or VIII and destined to receive visitors during festivities.

circa 350 BCE

First Pylon
The first pylon consists of two 60 foot (18 meters) high towers mark the facade of the sacred temple enclosure, and accessed with a gate between them. Parts of this pylon date back as early as to the time of Nectanebo I. This grand gateway built by Nectanebo I, was topped with a winged solar disk and decorated with a series of depictions of offerings featuring Horus, Hathor and Isis, which were severly damaged during the Christian period. There are grooves cut into each side of the pylon to support flag poles. In front of the main gateway to the first pylon stand two Roman style lions carved from pink granite. At the base of the first pylon a series of small personified Nile figures present offerings to various deities.

circa 350 BCE

Mammisi Inside the First Courtyard
The Mammisi (birth-house) is located on the western flank of the inner courtyard. It was dedicated to the worship of "Isis the Ancient". It is surrounded on three sides by a colonnade of floral topped columns each crowned with a sistrum and Hathor-headed capital. The Mammisi (birth house) was a common feature of Ptolemaic temples and the example on Philae is similar in layout and decoration to examples at Dendera and Edfu.

circa 350 BCE

Inner Courtyard Colonnade
On the eastern side of the inner courtyard (opposite the Mammisi) there is a colonnade with access to a few small chmabers (used as a library, laboratory where the perfumes was manufactured) and in the north the second pylon provides access to the main structure of the Temple of Isis.

circa 350 BCE

Second Pylon
The Second pylon, slightly smaller, is approximately 105 foot (30 meters) wide and 40 foot (14 meters) high and is not set parallel to the first pylon. This irregular plan is due to the rocky terrain of the island on which it once stood, the same setting was replicated when the temple complex was moved to its current setting on the Agilkia island. A series of small steps lead to the gateway between the two towers. The pylon towers depict scenes of Pharoahs making offerings to the gods. A staircase in the western tower leads to the roof and the “Osirian Chambers”. Both towers have grooves for flagpoles just like those on the First Pylon.

On the eastern tower the king (pharaoh) officiates in front of Horus and Isis and a version of the decree of god Ra is carved. In this decree Ra declares his decision to the divine council, announcing that the god Horus be the designated successor of his father Osiris. At the foot of the tower, a monumental granite block is embedded which functions as a monumental stele. It is inscribed with a description of a donation or grant of land made by Ptolemy VI to the temple of Isis. The text attributes to Isis, the temple of Philae, and its clergy the commercial use of parcel of land situated immediately south of the first cataract on both banks of the Nile river. The second pylon provides access in to the holiest area of the temple-complex and opens on to the hypostyle hall.

circa 350 BCE

Hypostyle Hall and the Three Sanctuaries
Beyond the hypostyle hall there lie three vestibules, leading into the Inner Sanctuary of Isis. The hypostyle hall is lit by an opening in the ceiling located at the back of the second pylon. According to the typical ancient Egyptian temple layout, there should be a hall behind the second pylon lined with a colonnade followed by pronaos and then the hypostyle hall. However at the Isis temple of Philae, the layout of the land forced the architects to adapt and merge the pronaos and the hypostyle hall, which was only two rows of columns. The ten columns in the hypostyle halls are richly decorated with scenes of worship and offerings, attributed to Isis, the most beautiful of goddess of all. Here, on one of the columns, cartouche of Cleopatra II (inspect) is carved.

During the Roman period and with the Christianization of the Roman Empire, emperor Justinian officially banned the cult of Isis at Philae. The temple was converted in to a church and specially the walls and pillars of the hypostyle hall were covered with Coptic Crosses. The Coptic Church was born out of dissidence and disagreement between the Egyptian Christian Church and the Catholic Church.

circa 350 BCE

Central Sanctuary
The central sanctuary or the holy of holies is the chamber at the heart of the Isis temple complex, where the barque or statue of the goddess resided. Originally two granite shrines stood here, one containing a gold statue of Isis and another containing the barque in which the statue travelled, but these were long ago moved to Florence and Paris, and only the stone pedestal for the barque remains, inscribed with the names of Ptolemy III and his wife, Berenice.

This section of the sanctuary contains 12 chambers and a crypt. Walls of the sanctuary are intricately carved with liturgical text and scenes of offerings related to the myth of Isis and Osiris. The sanctuary-chamber or holy of holies it self is located at the back. The naos which housed the statue of the goddess still contains the red granite pedestal where the barque of the goddess Isis was placed. Here once again the chamber is filled with relief carvings of the myth of Isis-Osiris-Seth.

circa 350 BCE

The temple complex was dismantled and moved to Agilkia Island as part of the UNESCO Nubia Campaign project, protecting this and other complexes before the 1970 completion of the Aswan High Dam.