Philae Temple-The Creation of God’s Home!

 Continues from Temple of Philae-A Temple for Love! 

The sail in Felucca to the Philae temple under the hot afternoon sun was delightful and tiring at the same time. The beautiful island that houses the majestic Philae temple was not the original home for Isis worshippers. The temple was earlier at an island near which, Aswan High Dam is located now!

During the construction of Aswan High dam, a looming flood threatened the existence of Philae temple. The Egyptian authorities were not ready to risk the loss of one of their regal ancestries. They dismantled the temple into 9,600, pieces numbering each piece in accordance to their existence. After a devoted effort, the temple was resurrected in the present island.

As we sailed nearer, steep sides and lofty walls, carved in Syneite stones became more visible. It seems neither a bird flies above this island nor a fish approaches its shore.  We descended from the felucca and passed a group of Spaniards resembled to come out of the movie Bucket List.

Trojan's Kiosk at the Philae Temple

The first thing Fatima pointed to us was the Trojan’s Kiosk at the entrance. However we didn’t particularly felt anything owing to its obliterated condition. Architectural wealth from various eras, extending from Pharaohs to the Caesars, was scattered in the very yard of the temple. There were remains of the faded imageries of Hathor’s story encrypted during the origin of the temple in 380-362 BCE by the orders of King Nectanebo. However what attracted us the most was the row of pillars on the side of the temple.

Pillars at the Philae Temple

Shade and light played a singular effect on the floors of the temple yard. Owing to the pillars’ position near the tropic of Cancer during the time, the view was quite unique. The ancient pillars proudly displayed two designs on their heads- the designs of Papyrus and lotus! The pillars and its walls were painted in vivid natural colours during its origin. Though the colours have lost their brilliance to time and dryness, they still retained their beauty. Various combinations of palm branches and dhoum leaf on the pillars silently promoted the artistic talent of its creators.

After admiring the beauty of the structures, we entered into the temple. The temple entrance was carved with rich images from the story of Isis. The monumental gateway to the temple was called Propyla. They were pyramidal in form and colossal in dimensions. Two colossal lions in granite stood in front of the Propyla. In my Hindu mind, they acutely resembled the ‘Dwarapalakas’ of Indian temples.

Some paintings on the walls were scraped out by Christian invaders of early eras. At each corner of the shrine stood a monolithic worship hole, the cage for the sacred hawk. The inscriptions from the Macedonian era still shone bright surviving the invasions. 

Near the image of Isis

We entered the shrine with shining walls of rich symbolic imagery. The image of Isis with protective wings around her husband was the most beautiful among them. The picture didn’t come out well in our camera lens, but got encrypted in my memory. 

The Holy cross at the entrance of Philae Temple

Native men dressed in Galapia dress were posing for the foreign cameras as we came out of the shrine. Our guide pointed out an inscription amidst the Egyptian images. A divine cross! Anyway, it wasn’t natural but had inscribed by the Roman invaders. 

The evening breeze had started to blow as we roamed around the shrine. We sat at the edge of the temple in the backdrop of the Nile. In the distance, Nubian islands sidelined the blue waters. Blissful was the feeling to be in that soil for some memorable hours!

Continues in The Evening Rays of Egypt!