Originally this temple was located 50 km south of Aswan in a site called Bab al-Kalabsha.

The Ptolemaic temple complex at Kalabsha, nowadays overshadowed by the famous, new Roman temple of Mandulis, turns out to be an invaluable source of information not only on the development of the cult of Mandulis, but also on the relations with centres in which the creation of religious concepts took place.

Due to the construction of the high dam in Aswan, this temple and others was to be submerged under the waters of the Nile.
It now stands 40 km to the north of its original location near the high dam on the left of Lake Nasser.

During the dismantling works, blocks from the ptolemaic monumental gate were discovered and were used as fillers in the construction of the temple.

These blocks stand now in the Ägyptische Museum in Berlin.

Information provided by Prof. Noha Khaled - Ain shams University

Originally this temple was located 50 km south of Aswan in a site called Bab al-Kalabsha.

The Ptolemaic temple complex at Kalabsha, nowadays overshadowed by the famous, new Roman temple of Mandulis, turns out to be an invaluable source of information not only on the development of the cult of Mandulis, but also on the relations with centres in which the creation of religious concepts took place.

Due to the construction of the high dam in Aswan, this temple and others was to be submerged under the waters of the Nile.
It now stands 40 km to the north of its original location near the high dam on the left of Lake Nasser.

During the dismantling works, blocks from the ptolemaic monumental gate were discovered and were used as fillers in the construction of the temple.

These blocks stand now in the Ägyptische Museum in Berlin.

Information provided by Prof. Noha Khaled - Ain shams University

The temple is dedicated to the cult of the Egyptian God Horus and the Nubian God Mandulis.

The foundation of the temple began under the reign of Amenhotep II, from the 18th dynasty.

The rest of the construction is purely roman (from the reign of Augustus) on the remains of constructions by Ptolemy IX.

The outer walls have lots of inscriptions like:

• The decree of Aurelius Besarion the governor of Ombs and elephantine stating that he is forbidding the entrance of porcs to the city due to religious beliefs.
  
  
• A Meroitic Text that was never deciphered before of the king Kharamadeye, king of the Blemmyes which is an ancient nubian tribe.
  The Blemmyes were a people of the eastern desert, ancestors of the modern Bega.
  
  
• A decree written in greek of the Christian king of the Nobades, Silko, celebrating his victory on the Blemmyes, and was written on a wall in the hypostyle hall.
  
  It reads  I, Silko, prince of Nobatae, an all of Ethiopians, came to Talmis and to Taphis. Twice I fought with the Blemmyes, and god gave me victory. 
  
  This victory accelerated the end of the ancient Egyptian religion, which led to the transformation of Philae temple and Kalabsha to churches during the 6th century AD.

Information provided by Prof. Noha Khaled - Ain shams University

The temple is dedicated to the cult of the Egyptian God Horus and the Nubian God Mandulis.

The foundation of the temple began under the reign of Amenhotep II, from the 18th dynasty.

The rest of the construction is purely roman (from the reign of Augustus) on the remains of constructions by Ptolemy IX.

The outer walls have lots of inscriptions like:

• The decree of Aurelius Besarion the governor of Ombs and elephantine stating that he is forbidding the entrance of porcs to the city due to religious beliefs.
  
  
• A Meroitic Text that was never deciphered before of the king Kharamadeye, king of the Blemmyes which is an ancient nubian tribe.
  The Blemmyes were a people of the eastern desert, ancestors of the modern Bega.
  
  
• A decree written in greek of the Christian king of the Nobades, Silko, celebrating his victory on the Blemmyes, and was written on a wall in the hypostyle hall.
  
  It reads  I, Silko, prince of Nobatae, an all of Ethiopians, came to Talmis and to Taphis. Twice I fought with the Blemmyes, and god gave me victory. 
  
  This victory accelerated the end of the ancient Egyptian religion, which led to the transformation of Philae temple and Kalabsha to churches during the 6th century AD.

Information provided by Prof. Noha Khaled - Ain shams University

The temple has a quay that connects it to the nile. The pylon (facade) is not decorated except for the cornice above the door. It shows a marvellous winged solar disc.

The temple was surrounded by two enclosure walls encircling the sanctuary. Between them we can find a water well and a Nilometer

Information provided by Prof. Noha Khaled - Ain shams University

The first court is mainly undecorated but we can see the real founder of the temple Amenhotep II offering to the gods Min and Mandoulis and we can also see Ptolemy IX offering to Isis, Horus/b> and Mandoulis.