Not only are the two temples at Abu Simbel among the most magnificent monuments in the world but their removal and reconstruction was an historic event in itself. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari. The complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir.
Temple of Philae
Philae Temple was dismantled and reassembled (on Agilika Island about 550 meters from its original home on Philae Island) in the wake of the High Dam. The temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, is in a beautiful setting which has been landscaped to match its original site.
Elephantine Island
Elephantine is an island in the River Nile, located just downstream of the First Cataract at the southern border of Ancient Egypt. This region is referred to as Upper Egypt because the land is higher than that near the Mediterranean coast. The island may have received its name because it was a trading place for Ivory. Other theories claim that the island is named after its shape. It is easily verifiable that the island's shape is similar to that of an elephant's tusk.
Philae Island
This little island, an alluvium covered rock of granite, only 460 x 150 m, is situated at 8 km south of the Assuan Dam in Upper Egypt, in an area which in ancient times made out the border to Nubia. The well known name of Philae is Greek.
Kitchners Island
The Kitchener’s Island is a small oval shaped island located in Nile that flows across the heart of Egypt. The beautiful Kitchener’s Island is located in the picturesque island of Aswan. The word in Arabic stands for ‘Geziret an- Nabatat’ that literally means ‘islands of plants’.
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