Philae
Today we are off to The Temple of Philae but first a stop at the High Dam was on our schedule. On arrival we alighted
the bus, and when we reached the center of the walkway brought out our cameras to take some pics of the wonderful views of the dam and its
environs. It was built in the 1960's and today provides irrigation and electricity for the whole of Egypt. From this point we also had
a great view of Lake Nassar, the reservoir created when the dam was built. After a good stop Mo said it was time to move on and continue
our trip to Philae.
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The Temple of Philae is situated on the edge of the River Nile not too far away from the High Dam. The temple has a history
similar to Abu Simbel in that it needed to be moved to escape the flooding waters. This work was carried out in 1972 and completed in 1980 through the efforts of UNESCO and the Egyptian Antiquity
Organization. This new island has been carefuly reconstructed to resemble the original one as close as possible. In ancient times, this island complex was the center for the goddess Isis and her
relationships with Osirus and Horus. The remains are quite stunning beginning with the entrance pylon which is 150ft wide and 60ft high. The columns of the forecourt are unique and beautifully carved
with floral and palms on the top. There are lots of hieroglyphics on walls telling stories of long ago and its amazing they are preserved for us to see now. It was very hot, and Mo had us all stand in the
shade where he began to relate the history that was directly involved with this temple. He has so much knowledge its incredible
but at some point in his talk, the realisation set in that we were finding it hard to take in. His answer to that was to call us out, one by one, and give us a character
so we could remember more. Well that worked, as all through the holiday we stuck to our characters and relived some of their activities as we went. Great day!
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