~PHILAE~
The original island of Philae is now completely underwater. When the first dam of Aswan was built over 100 years ago, the temples on Philae were flooded for months of each year and had to be visited by boat. The water washed away the brightly colored paint which glorified the goddesses Isis and Hathor on reliefs that had decorated the temple walls for eons. Over 800 years in the making, it stood a brilliant testament to the ancient's reverence of their goddesses.
Philae's strikingly beautiful complex of temples were dedicated to the cult of Isis. Throughout history, the floods of the mighty Nile had spared the island of Philae, which had been masterfully protected by its original builders with walls and terraces of granite. They were to protect the island no more, as the construction of the modern dam of Aswan was destined to submerge the complex permanently.
All of the buildings had to be completely dismantled and relocated in the 1970s to another island on higher ground. Philae was painstakingly moved and reconstructed on the larger and higher island of Agilkia. According to our guide at Philae, the site's original orientation to the sun was forever lost when the structures were relocated. No other reference points to this, however. It may have been local lore that was incorrect.
The morning we were to visit Philae we asked our guide to negotiate with the boat captain for us. We were appalled to witness the ensuing shouting match with money actually thrown back and forth between the two seemingly disgusted men. After a rather long and loud exchange, our guide somehow managed to get the captain to accept an amount which was much less than normal for tourists, despite his rather vehement protests. We would have gladly paid full price to avoid the drama of the bargaining process. So much negative energy expended for a dollar or two. We chose to tip the disgruntled captain generously, and wished him well.
