The Dodekaschoinos Stela at Philae Temple

The Dodekaschoinos Stela at Philae temple

Standing in front of the eastern (right) tower of the second pylon at Philae Temple is an impressive granite stela known as the Dodekaschoinos Stela, meaning “The Twelve-Mile Stela.” Originally a granite block.

ITS ts surface was carefully smoothed and inscribed to record an important historical decree connected to one of the most significant border regions of ancient Egypt.

The stela refers to the Dodekaschoinos, a territory that once formed the frontier between Egypt and ancient Ethiopia (Nubia).

This region took its name from its geographical length of twelve miles. Its northern boundary was at Philae, while its southern limit reached Pselcis (Dakkeh)—the southernmost point where monumental remains of Macedonian and Roman rule have been discovered.

The inscription records a decree issued by King Ptolemy VI Philometor in the final months of his 24th regnal year (around 157 BC).

Through this decree, the king approved the donation of tax revenues from the entire Dodekaschoinos region to the Temple of Isis at Philae, highlighting the immense religious, political, and economic importance of the sanctuary.

Directly in front of the stela, visitors can also see the foundation walls of a small Roman chapel, bearing the cartouches of the emperors Domitian, Trajan, and Hadrian, offering clear evidence of the site’s continued sacred use across multiple historical periods.

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