ABSTRACT
Philae is traditionally considered the most beautiful temple in the Nile Valley, but this is due more to its situation than to the architecture; and since the palm-groves, which constituted more than half its charm, have been cut down the temples now have value only as examples of Ptolemaic and Roman architecture. The temples, however, can only be seen when the water is low (pl. XLIV, 2); from December to May the river is held up by the barrage and the temples are so completely flooded that only the architraves and cornices are visible.
