The Ancient Egypt: Philae Island .. The Outer Court of the Temple of Isis .. Part ( 5 )

The temple of Nectanebos

We begin our survey of the temples of Philae with the south-western corner of the island from The temple of Nectanebos . The temple of Nectanebos, which is the earliest temple on the island .
This building was erected by Nectanebos II, the last Pharaoh of the 30^th Dynasty ( 360 – 343 BC ), which stands on the south-western corner of the island which rises immediately over the water .

This temple was meant to be the first court of a temple dedicated to Hathor, Isis, and to all the gods of Senmet – or Senem ( the island of Bigeh, near at hand ), and, as seen, is a restoration carried out by Ptolemy II, Philadelphus, of the original structure . It was originally supported by fourteen columns, but of these only six now survive . Here, Hathor welcomes the visitor from her place on top of the lotus capitals . Her serene head with its cow ears supports the architrave . These columns have floral capitals with sistrum capitals, bearing Hathor heads above the lower capital, according to the clumsy fashion affected in the late period . The roof is gone, and one of the two sandstone obelisks which stood before the river-front has disappeared ; the other still stands, but has lost its point .

The columns were united by stone screens over six feet high, crowned with the usual cavetto cornices and rows of uraeus-serpents . On the east face of the temple, the king is seen on the screen-walls before Khnum and Satet ( or Satis ), Osiris and Isis ; while on the west face of the screens he appears before Amun and Mut, Isis and Anukis, Khnum and Wazet ( also called Wadjet ), Isis and the child Horus . Within the temple, the king is seen on the east side in the presence of Isis, Nephthys and Hathor, with various other gods and goddesses ; while on the west side he appears before Osiris, Isis, Khnum, Horus of Edfu, Thoth of Hermopolis and other deities .

The temple of Arsenuphis

Close to the temple of Nectanebos and to the right of the Vestibule of Nectanebos from the southern end of the east colonnade leading to the temple of Isis is the much-ruined temple of Iry-hemes-nufer or Arsenuphis, who was a local version of the ancient air-god Shu . It was built by Ptolemy IV, Philopator, and extended by Ptolemy V, Epiphanes .

It once had a pronaos, vestibule, corridor and sanctuary, but these have for the most part perished . The base of the pronaos walls survives, with a procession of figures of the Nile-god Hapi . Remains of reliefs show the builders of the temple, Ptolemy IV, Philopator, before Isis, Horus and Unnefer, and Ptolemy V, Epiphanes, before Isis and other gods . The part of the enclosure walls which still remain has four rows of scenes which show the Emperor Tiberius before the gods, among whom Arsenuphis is to be seen . On the fallen part of the enclosure wall, Ergamenes, the Ethiopian king contemporary with Ptolemy IV, Philopator, who apparently collaborated with the Egyptian king in the building of the temple, is shown, together with Ptolemy IV, Ptolemy VII and Tiberius . The carvings show Tiberius worshipping Osiris, Isis, Harsiesis ( Horus son of Isis ), Nephthys, Khnum, Satet, Anukis, Arsenuphis and Tefnut .

The Western Colonnade

Returning now to the southern end of the island until we reaching to the outer court of the temple of Isis, we follow the line of the western colonnade which leads from the temple of Nectanebos towards the great temple of Isis . This remarkably beautiful approach is 100 yards in length, which is bounded on the west by the Quay Wall . The West Colonnade consists of thirty-one columns ( originally thirty-two ) . Its capitals taking the form of flowers, remarkable in their variety with no two being alike . These columns still support portions of the roof which is partly destroyed . The ceiling is decorated with vultures and stars .

The rear wall is well preserved, and is decorated with two rows of reliefs showing Claudius, Tiberius and Germanicus before various gods . The windows in the wall overlook the water and the island of Bigeh . Most of the columns show carvings of Tiberius offering gifts to the gods . The capitals of the columns are floral and palm-leaf, and show great variety . Above them are impost-blocks and architraves supporting a cavetto cornice .

Altogether this colonnade is one of the most attractive features of the island, and its submersion, is to be deplored . At right angles to it is a subterranean passage leading to the water, which was used as a nilometer .

The Eastern Colonnade

The East Colonnade which led from the temple of Arsenuphis, was never finished and partly roofed . It has seventeen columns ; but of these only six of which have their capitals completed, and the remaining eleven are only rough-hewn . The outer wall has no relief upon it .

The small temple of Mandulis

Several doorways open through the colonnade wall ; The first five from the south end which has never been decorated, lead out into a court in which stood a now ruined small temple of Mandulis, a local form of the sun-god, ' the flash-darting Lord ' .

The small temple of Imhotep

Nearer the great temple of Isis, a sixth doorway from the north side of this court leads into the court of the small temple of Imhotep, whom the Greeks equated, under the name of Imouthes, with Asclepius or Aesculapius . Passing through this door, we find ourselves in a little court . On the north side of which is the doorway into the temple . On the left side of the doorway, the king Ptolemy V, Epiphanes, is seen before Imhotep ; while on the right side he is shown before the cataract triad, Khnum, Satis, and Anukis ; and also before Unnefer, Isis, and Imhotep . On the lintel is a Greek inscription which dates from the reign of Ptolemy V, Epiphanes, and refers to his wife and son . Through this doorway one passes into two chambers, both of which are undecorated . The temple was actually built by Ptolemy II, Philadelphus .

The Gateway of Ptolemy II, Philadelphus

Between the temple of Imhotep and the first Great Pylon of the temple of Isis stands a fine gateway, which is also the work of Ptolemy II, Philadelphus, and probably once formed part of an earlier approach for which the present eastern colonnade has been substituted . It has reliefs on the lintel of its western face showing Philadelphus dancing before Khnum and Hathor and before Osiris and Isis ; while on the east face of the doorway he is seen before Osiris and Isis, Satet and Anukis and other deities . The jambs of the portal show Tiberius before the gods .