Kalabsha

Kalabsha is not visited as often as Philae, it is another small island near Aswan to which monuments were moved to avoid their disappearance under water when the Aswan High Dam was constructed. Originally located at Bab al-Kalabsha (Gate of Kalabsha) on the Nile West bank about 55 kilometers south of Aswan, it was moved to near the shore of the Nubian Lake (Lake Nasser). We take a small boat to visit the island.

Most of the temples here are Greco-Roman era, with some New Kingdom temples built by Ramesses II. Kalabsha Temple was mostly built during the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus Octavius, circa 30 BC. It is dedicated to a Nubian deity Mandulis, a solar god (there is also a small temple to him at Philae). The temple includes many reliefs in good condition, and has a Nilometer from the time of Ptolemy IX (2nd century AD). In 1979 the temple was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List along with other outstanding examples of Nubian architecture including Abu Simbel and Amada.

Other sites on the island include Beit el-Wali which was constructed by Ramesses II and was dedicated to Amun, Khnum and Ankit. Similarly to Abu Simbel, this small temple was originally carved into the rock face. While other temples on the island were reconstructed in the 1960s, Garf Hussein was reassembled in 2003. Also built by Ramesses II, it is dedicated to the god Ptah. The Chapel of Qartasa is a kiosk featuring columns with Hathor and plant capitals. There are also ancient petroglyphs about which little is known.