Aswan - Philae Island

The temple of Isis on Philae Island is an excellent example of New Kingdom temples and is well preserved. The oldest section of the temple is the Hall of Nectanebo which has Hathor capitals on the columns. And while the temple is in an excellent state of preservation, many gods and pharaohs faces were destroyed by the early Christians to show the powerlessness of the Egyptian gods. There is a decree by the Coptic Pope carved into the temple wall urging his followers to destroy these pagan images. Fortunately they interpreted it as just the face, so the bodies and hieroglyphs remain intact. Despite this the cult of Isis survived here until 6th century AD when the temple was closed by order of the Roman emperor Justinian.