Volume I Plate 18 - The Main Temple of the Island of Philae ~ In the ancient days this magnificent temple was the center of the worship of Isis, a prominent goddess considered the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus, and was worshipped as the archetypical wife and mother. The temple was last outpost of a religion that lasted nearly 4000 years. It was probably a temple site since the 4th century B.C. and Egyptian legend details that this was the place where Isis found the heart of Osiris. The columns are styled to appear as papyrus with chevrons as the floral bracts at the base of the stalks. A pylon serves as a facade to hide the entrance to the main part of the temple and the scene depicts an open first court before the doorway that leads to the chapels and sanctuary area. Though the scene is colorless today due to washing by the dammed up Nile, it was once brilliantly colored.

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