Philae is an island in the Nile
River and the former site of an Ancient Egyptian temple complex in southern
Egypt. The complex was dismantled and relocated to a nearby island during a
UNESCO project started due to the construction of the Aswan Dam, after the site
was partly flooded by the earlier Aswan Low Dam for half a century.
Philae was also remarkable for the unique
effects of light and shade resulting from its position near the Tropic of
Cancer. As the sun approaches its northern limit the shadows from the
projecting cornices and moldings of the temples sink lower and lower down the
plain surfaces of the walls, until, the sun having reached its highest
altitude, the vertical walls are overspread with dark shadows, forming a
striking contrast with the fierce light which illuminates all surrounding
objects.