Was the visit path to the Temple of Isis developed during its restoration work?

CAIRO – 23 December 2020: The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has completed the restoration and development work of the Isis Temple in Aswan Governorate, in preparation for its opening soon.

This comes within the projects that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is working on to open to the public.

What did the temple restoration works include?
 

The restoration work included restoring floors and columns, cleaning the walls from bird and bat waste, and placing wire windows to prevent the birds from entering again. The inscriptions at the entrance to the Holy of Holies were also restored and cleaned, and the soot on its ceiling was removed.

The restoration works also included cleaning the drawings and colors on the entrance to the temple and the side door, and maintaining the offering tables in the Column Hall.

Has the temple visit pathway been developed?
 

The restoration work also included the development of the site, as it included setting a path for the visit from entering the temple to its end and the development and installation of a modern lighting system that works to show the unique aesthetic aspects of the temple without affecting it.

Did the temple witness excavation work?
 

A group of tentacles and excavations were made, including the Holy of Holies area with a depth of 2 meters and the temple hall, in which small pottery vessels were found.

Excavations were also carried out in the northwest side of the temple’s courtyard, which resulted in the discovery of some red brick walls.

When was the temple discovered?
 

The temple was discovered in 1871 AD and is about 19 meters in height. It was built by King Ptolemy III to worship the deity Isis and the triad of Aswan, however, its construction was not completed.

What is the description of the temple?
 

It was built of sandstone and has two doors. The main door is crowned with an ornament topped by the winged sun disk, which takes visitors to a hall with three rooms open to it. In the eastern wall of the middle room resides the Holy of Holies, where some scenes of the sacrifices are inscribed.