Kiosk of Trajan, Philae

Roman Kiosk, Kalabsha

Birth house of Horus, Temple of Edfu The Romans were in control of Egypt from the time of Julius Caesar until Muslim Arabs took over te country in 639 AD. While there, they followed the example of the Macedonian Ptolemies and built many Temples dedicated to Egyptian Gods to show the populace that they shared many important beliefs. Roman taxation of the province, which was the grain bowl of the Mediterranean world, was devastating, but otherwise the new citizens of the Roman Empire were aided by their skill in engineering for their the irrigation system. But after several cennturies of Roman rule the country was developed into a ferment of unrest due to economic and religious issues. Before that, however, many new temples were built at many of the main centers of worship, including Philae. These temples were all dedicated to the sacred trinity Osiris, Isis, and Horus, rather than Amun Ra and the local deities, however, and their cults became the focus of worship until Christianity became the main religion of the country in the second century AD.