"AGILIKA ISLAND - The complex of the Temple of Isis was dismantled and relocated from the Philae Island (one of the burying-places of Osiris, and thus held in high reverence both by Egyptians and Nubians) to the nearby (500m) Agilika Island in the 1960s, when the waters of the Nile partly flooded the site almost permanently"
"TEMPLE OF ISIS - First pylons with Isis"
"FAÇADE"
"COLUMNS & CAPITALS"
"ISIS, HORUS AND A PTOLOMAIC PHARAOH"
"DAMAGE - It seems that during the late Roman Empire, after the introduction of Christianity, there was an attempt to erase all the ancient «pagan idols»; the result was that most of the figures on the walls of the temple were scratched and broken..."
"RELIEFS - OFFERINGS"
"TEMPLE OF HATHOR"
"KIOSK OF TRAJAN - And the Sound and Light Theatre"
"SOUND AND LIGHT - The S&L at Philae is probably the best show of the temples near the Nile River..."
"SOUND AND LIGHT - Façade"
SOUND AND LIGHT - Inside and the damaged images"
"LIGHTS"
"GENERAL VIEW"
"THE MYTH OF OSIRIS and the end of the show"
Posts
50 comments:
Hi Everybody! The Temple of Philae is no longer at the island with the same name, but it is an extraordinary monument!! If there was nothing else in Aswan (forget the Dam…), Philae would be enough to justify your trip to the city… And, furthermore, its Sound and Light show is absolutely stunning!! So, Poirot, Philae and the boat trip to the Nubian village by the desert is more than enough to make you move… Enjoy, don’t forget to leave a comment (please), and have a fabulous week ahead... ;)
c'est magnifique, surtout les photos de nuit
I like also the night photos, they are mysterious and a bit frightening because my imagination starts to run wildly and the mummies rise from their beds.....
Absolutely amazing...these are so magnificent!!!
This time it is marvelous. You are great!
Absolutely brilliant! Loved the ones taken at night! The lighting has come out fantastic!
Fantastic monuments of Egypt. Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos.
Gorgeous!!!
My 100th post - Dedicated to all
It would be wonderful to wander about there - epecially without other tourists.
So sound & light show was better than in Giza? :)
Greetings from sunny Casa!
Very nice post. The place is unbelievable considering how old it is. Great pics of the columns.
What a fascinating place!
I love all those carvings and the night shots are fantastic!
OH...I am hit: FANTASTIC Photography again, Trotter!!!
Certainly, the temples are magic and beautiful and seen it many years ago; standing in front of it is so very impressing....!
But: Your NIGHT SHOTS of this incredible temples are FABULOUSLYBEAUTIFULANDMAGIC !!!!!!
( A new word !!)
ciao ciao and a great weekend!
elvira
Un merveilleux voyage que j'ai fait avec ma maman en 1993, 8 jours de croisière,quelques jours sur la mer rouge, puis le Caire Une merveille tous ces monuments
My favorite shot is the "Temple of Hathor" - and those lights at night look very dramatic as well.
Very nice Trotter.I am sure the light show must have been exciting to see.IUt i too bad people try to destroy history.You can't erase the past and say it never happened.
Hello! The pictures are AMAZING!
have a wonderful weekend!
You've mastered the camera way better than I with your night shots Gil. I can't imagine how beautiful the sound and light show must have been. Loved seeing all the carvings even if there was damage. Have a fabulous weekend where ever you all are. ~ Lynn
Très majestueux ! Tu n'as pas eu peur de te perdre ou de perdre ton épouse ? Je n'aurais pas été rassurée avec tous ces dieux, ces prêtres, ces pharaons qui rôdent éternellement alentours dans la nuit.
Isis est la soeur et l'épouse d'Osiris mais la déesse de quoi déjà ?
Gil, I think this trip down the Nile has been one of the most spectacular trips you've taken us on! If the world was a more peaceful place, and I was not so concerned about how Americans are viewed in Egypt, I would want to visit all the places you've shown.
I am lucky that the Brooklyn Museum has a very extensive Egyptian collection, and so does the Met Art museum, so I can travel to Egypt vicariously through them.
The light show looks beautiful and I really enjoyed looking at all the deep relief's and hieroglyphics on the temples and columns.
Enjoy the opera you are going to see! Have a good weekend!
Hello Gil! Amazing views indeed! Fabulous decorations and fantastic lights! Another wonderful post I've really enjoyed!
Happy weekend :-)
This is an amazing place - very unusual architectural forms. It is a shame that so much was destroyed. I wish I believed we were more tolerant today.
Terrific night photos especially.
Nice pictures again !
All of the photographs of the Temple are exquisite, Gil. It looks particularity stunning all lit up at night!! Sad that part of the temple was ruined in the name of religion.
Howdy to you and Mrs. T.
Happy Weekend
xox
Constance
Wow fantastic!
Thanks for sharing Toter.
Enjoy your weekend.
Wow fantastic!
Thanks for sharing Trotter.
Enjoy your weekend.
thank you for the fantastic virtual tour!!
We are all still sailing up the Nile with you, wich is gorgeous in winter time.
Ow ! G@tto is caught yes, not in snow but in concrete - fixing my kitchen tile's floor.
stunning pics..i will have to request you to suggest an itinerary for me when i visit Egypt
I like the Temple of Hathor shot - the one where you can see right through to the blue river.
And your night shots in this series are fabulous, Gil - amazing.
Wow! I love the architecture! Those carvings are exquisite! It must be awesome taking it all in...in person! Thanks for sharing! :)
This is a beautiful post again and the photos are excellent, especially the night shots.
Didn't you wished to have less people in the picture? I know, the tourists are always there and most time in the way of the photographer.
Great Post!!
Loved to travel with you! Thank you for sharing it with me :)
gorgeous! I loved my trip to Egypt
Looking at all these temples at one point the difference between one with another is blur with someone like me who has zero knowledge on it. Photo wise they are stunning! Have a good weekend.
ps/hundreds unread titles? Gil you are even worse than I am! With all those travelling, maybe you could squeeze one or two titles perhaps? #justsuggesting
Beautiful shots. The carvings and pillars of the temple are amazing.
OK, Trotter - s you brought me down off the jebel to see the tourists. Fortunately I did not have to look hard before Mrs T popped up to enliven things. Have you ever actually seen a woman with a dog/lion's head carrying a jar? Egypt is a strange place.
this is the one spot I missed in Aswan - we were too focused in getting into Abu Simbel :( anyway, the light and sound show makes it more dramatic from what I see in your pictures.
Hello,
Wonderful photos.Excellent information.
It is fantastic that in each post you pack so many lovely photos and provide so much information that it is as good as I have been with you on each of your tour seeing the things you saw and experienced the thrill and joy you felt.
Best wishes,
Joseph
The sounds and light show looks exquisite as does the site itself! Does it feel right with it not being in the original site?
To answer your question on my blog; yes, I have been quite occupied lately and have hardly looked at other blogs. Sorry, but I have neglected everybody, no discrimination. :-)
I now checked your latest posts and read your comment to my comment on a preceding one. I think I will try to book a nice room at the Old Cataract, when I feel that the end is approaching, like François M. A last trip! :-)
When I see these fantastic pictures, I think there would be no better destination for a last trip! (Sorry if I'm a bit morbid.) :-)
The temple during the night looks really misterious:)
Peter told me about your blog and getting to meet you when I was in Paris last week. Oh my, your blog is a feast for the eyes. Wonderful photos. I feel like I was right there with you. I'll be back !!
V
It is hard to believe how long ago these temples were built. The light and sound show must have been awe inspiring.
absolutely amazing temple!!..
much more grander than the pyramids to me!!!!
Just staggering, Gil! We're getting a tour here from you better than any guide book, that's for certain. How awe-inspiring it must have been to stand inside the temple. And that sound and light show – so memorable! Georgianna
Hi Folks! So, the Nile cruise is coming to an end and Aswan will be waiting for the re-opening of the Old Cataract Hotel (September 2011, don’t forget... :-)), so that we may again enjoy the delights that brought Agatha/Poirot and many other VIP clients to the place... And you’ll need to rush, as I’ve read somewhere that they will close the real tombs of the Valley of Kings to tourists and they will make a fake version to show... some kind of an Egyptian Disneyland, with the King Tut Tomb as highlight... ;))
Olivier,
C’est vrai que cette fois, contrairement à ce que arrive normalement, les photos de nuit ne sont pas du tout mal parties... ;)
Susu,
Come on, don’t start inventing stories; you have a too great imagination, though mummies and spirits seem to rise in such a place... ;))
Siddhartha,
Thanks! I truly enjoyed the trip, but must confess that when it comes to temples, I feel that India is unbeatable!!
P. N. Subramanian,
Thanks! But all the credit goes to the place in itself!! And, of course to the people who some millennia ago built all these fantastic monuments for us to enjoy!!
Rakesh,
That’s true that this time the night pictures came out in such a way that even I feel that they aren’t the usual trash... ;))
Alice,
My pleasure to share it with you and all the others... I’m truly glad that you enjoy; hopefully as much as I... ;)
Friend,
Congrats on your 100th post dedicated to all!! Look forward to seeing your 1000th... ;)
Hélène,
It’s not an easy task to avoid tourists in the area; actually most of the people around are either tourists or tourist trappers... ;).
But like we may understand from Jean-Didier Urbain and his «L’Idiot du Voyage”, the tourist is always «the other», though truly all of us were, are or will be tourists one day… ;)
Blogitse,
That’s what the experts say… I’m not an expert on Sound and Light shows, though I must confess that I was once truly impressed with one I saw in Uxmal, Mexico, many, many years ago… This one was also a nice one!!
Ron,
And if you consider that it has been removed stone by stone from its original site, it becomes even more unbelievable!!
Nicole,
The reliefs are awesome and the night shots for once came out decently… Even the blurred made some kind of artistic lightning… ;)
Elvira,
Thanks! I’m going to borrow your new word for some of your own creations at your fantastic Tuscany blog!! Sorry, I won’t pay any royalties… ;))
It’s true that the night was for the most part auspicious for the shots I was taking while the show was developing…
Lyliane,
Un merveilleux voyage en 1993 (huit jours de croisière, tu as fais l’aller-retour…), et que nous dis-toi du superbe voyage en Inde que tu viens de faire? ;) On attends tes photos!!
Eye,
According to Wikipedia, Hathor was «an Ancient Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, beauty, music, motherhood and joy». No wonder the temple would create a beautiful experience...
Lady,
The past will always be there, but it is also hard to judge it with our eyes; everything was so different: except when there were already people raising their voices to mention the atrociousness of the situation...
Mariposa,
Glad that you like them! Having spent so much time taking them, and them choosing from the thousands to post, it’s always a tremendous pleasure and reward to see that people enjoy seeing them!! Thanks!
Lynn,
It’s probably the first time that the night shots came out not in the notorious shape they use to... ;). Thanks for the wishes, but I’m stuck... You are the one trotting nowadays... ;))
Lucie,
Les dieux et les pharaons, ça va; pas de problème de nous perdre... mais en ce qui concerne les prêtres… ;)
D’après Wikipedia, «Isis est la Grande Déesse par excellence. Dans le mythe osirien, elle est l'épouse et sœur exemplaire qui, grâce à ses pouvoirs magiques et avec l'aide de sa sœur Nephtys, réussit à ressusciter Osiris, son frère et époux, le temps d'une union d'où naquit le dieu Horus.»
Tu sais qu’Isidore est un prénom lié à Isis ; l'étymologie grecque - Isis doron - signifie cadeau d'Isis… Ce qu’on apprend à Wiki… ;)
Pat,
Thanks! The world is changing almost everywhere, hopefully for better… But at the same time, it’s getting dangerous for everybody, not only for Americans… There was a revolution in Tunisia and it’s said that a dictatorship has ended; but things are tough there some people are fleeing away and tourism is stopped for a while. We’ll see what will come after… Everything started with an immolation of a young guy… Now, there have been immolations elsewhere, namely in Egypt and also in Jordan… And how would it be to visit Petra, if things deteriorated as far as safety ids concerned...
The Met has a fabulous Egyptian collection and the only time I was at the Brooklyn Museum I also saw some interesting items; so, profit... ;)
It was interesting seeing Janacek’s «Katia Kabanova»!
Part Three:
Pietro,
Probably it was not directly intended to decorate, but definitely the reliefs and hieroglyphs make an interesting decoration to the temple walls... I’m glad that you liked!!
Ted,
There is definitely much more tolerance nowadays, but things cannot be taken as granted; just think of what happened all of a sudden in the Balkans just some years ago... Hard times!!
Gattina,
Great that you liked! Since you are an expert in Egypt sites, it always comes as a compliment... ;)
Constance,
Yeah, this time at night looks even better than at daylight... ;) There are always some reasons to destroy what others have created... sometimes religions, sometimes politics... whatever reason seems to serve...
Regina,
My pleasure!
Magic,
My pleasure!!
G@tto,
It was great to catch that warm weather, though the difference in temperature between Lisbon and Aswan in winter isn’t as big as between Paris and Aswan... ;) Even if today is freezing here: +4º early morning, +9º in the afternoon... ;)
Lakshmi,
Sure, with great pleasure!! I haven’t been to the Red Sea (Gattina was there several times...), but if you have time (which is something I can’t afford...), maybe you should try a dive into the water there... ;)
Paul,
You can see right through to the river, but it doesn’t seem that the water is that blue... ;)
Yvonne,
Temples’ architecture is always a bit unusual... This one isn’t so much different of all the others I’ve been showing in the last posts... Actually, the temples one may visit while cruising the Nile between Luxor and Aswan are all similar, but all extraordinary... ;)
Part Four:
Sue,
That’s great to read you back here! Thanks! I wouldn’t mind to have less people in the photos; the problem is that photographers are also tourists who are blocking the pictures of the others... ;))
Julie,
Thanks for your visit and comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the free ride!! My pleasure to bring you in... ;)
Leo,
It’s not only for you that the differences between the temples are just a vague notion... Of course, you may find that they are dedicated to different gods and that the hieroglyphs tell different stories, but to check it there is a need to an expertise neither nor I have... ;))
Sometimes I squeeze some books for my trips, but I must confess that usually I’m so busy looking at everything out there that there is no chance to read a novel... ;))
Rajesh,
Actually the reliefs are extraordinary, and what is amazing is how they manage to survive time and all the other odds they suffered... ;)
Stuart,
So Oman!! You are far from being stuck... And it seems you’re not a tourist there at the Jebel... Probably you belong to the ones who own the palace at the end of the road to the top of Jebel Hafeet... Amazing!! ;)
Women have the weirdest faces in Ancient Egypt mythology... and men also... ;))
Nomadic,
Philae is a wonderful site; and the Sound & Light is absolutely stunning; we also made it to Aswan, and we were lucky to get a place on the plane to get there early in the morning and then fly back in time to catch the late afternoon flight to Cairo...
Joseph,
Thanks! Let’s say that it similar to seeing it in the movies; but it is far from experiencing it on the spot... ;))
Anyhow, I’m truly glad that you enjoy the free ride one can make with these posts... ;)
Emm,
It’s perfectly ok where it is; and furthermore, as there was no option not to build the dam and the temples and hieroglyphs cannot swim, it’s better to be in this island than submerged and accessible only to divers... ;)
Peter,
I see that you must have been rather busy now that you’re retired; I think you are like that friend who said after retirement that he knew not how he had had time to work all those years before retiring... ;)
It’s amazing to think that Mitterrand was at the Old Cataract Hotel just some days before passing away!! What a place to go for a last trip... ;)
Ola,
Do you believe that I didn’t see any Poles at the Sound and Light show? They probably found it too mysterious and went all to the Red Sea beaches, not to the temples... ;))
Part Five, and final, for the time beeing...
Virginia,
Thanks for your visit and first time comment here!! I’m glad you enjoyed the ride! Look forward to reading you here often...
Diane,
It’s incredible what they built in those days, with the technology they had... Truly, the labour force was not an issue in those times... ;)
Star,
The pyramids are the pyramids, but this one is an awesome place!!
Georgianna,
Thanks! Better than a guide book only Peter and his blog on Paris!! But the show was memorable...
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