When you approach the island, the first thin you are likely to see is the huge first pylon of the temple, decorated with scenes of Isis and the other gods. The pylon was built by Ptolemy XII (Neos Dionysos). The main gate is attributed to Ptolemy II, which means it was probably from a much older temple on the site, and the main entrance is also older, from the time of Nectanebo.

Inside the main pylon is a lot of French graffiti, marking the arrival of Napoleon’s troops in 1799

The second pylon changes the axis of the temple. It is set at an angle to the first pylon, and was also built the Ptolemy XII. The reliefs here show Ptolemy offering to Horus and Isis. The inscriptions on the other pylons were defaced by christians who lived in the temple for a time after the emperor Justinian forbid the worship of Isis in 550 CE. The copts chiseled crosses into the walls over the earlier Egyptian inscriptions. It was one of the last bastions of the old religion.

The sanctuary, deep in the temple, contains a stone pedestal dedicated by Ptolemy III and his wife Berenice. It probably supported a gold barque dedicated to the goddess Isis.