Aswan is the name of the governorate that lies to the ultimate south of Egypt, as well as the name of its capital. About 1000 kilometers to the south of Cairo the capital of Egypt, Aswan has an incomparable location to the north of Aswan Dam, and to the east of Nile River Bank.
Whenever the sunny weather intersects with the pure water that just stemmed from nearby Ethiopia, the result would be the magnificent Aswan with every single detail and every single landmark of it.
Thanks to its situation of the first Nile Cataract, Aswan has always been regarded as a very strategically important place. Aswan, simply, is a wonderful place with many stories to tell.
Here are some of Aswan’s most attractive landscapes to visit during your Egypt tour.
1. Philae Temple
Philae, which meant “The End” in the Ancient language, is a peaceful island on the reservoir of Aswan low dam, and where was originally constructed the Egyptian Temple complex.
It was devoted to deifying Pharaonic Gods like Osiris, and the Goddess of love, Isis. With plans of constructing water dams that began in 1902 and throughout the 60s The temple of Philae was almost lost in inundations, but thanks to the combined efforts of UNESCO and the Egyptian government, the Philae temple was dismantled and rebuilt in a higher ground of Agikila island.
Despite the inundations and the attempts of deliberate sabotage by Early Christians, the Philae temple is still a surprisingly well-preserved monument in a good condition.
Being worshipped for bringing back to life her dismembered husband Osiris, Isis and Isoris went on and had their son Horus, who became one of the most ancient deities, therefore, isis earned her title as “The Mother of God”.
2) The Temple of Kom Ombo
Located in a village with the same name Kom Ombo, Aswan.
On visiting Kom Ombo and its simple agricultural life with the thick sugar cane fields, you would be dazzled on seeing Kom Ombo temple, for a while you would think that you are in one of Gulliver’s ventures.
This temple was devoted to deifying two deities Sobek and Horus (In other words Haroeris), It is considered significant evidence of the importance of this spot in ancient history due to its crucial location on the Nile.
Indulge yourself in the memorable experience of visiting this architectural piece of art with its colonnades, carvings, and fine decorations.
Another worth visit place at the Kom Ombo Temple is the crocodile museum where you can see exclusively here, hundred of mummified crocodiles were found in this area.
3) The Temple of Edfu
Situated on a hill overlooking the Nile and was built during the Ptolemaic era, the Temple of Edfu is regarded as the near perfection ancient monument in Egypt.
Was built in the Ptolemic era, then buried in the sand for about 2 centuries, this was an imperative factor to be the best-preserved landmark amid other ancient sites.
The temple of Edfu was dedicated to deifying one solely deity, god Horus or Horaeris. These falcon-headed and human body statues of Horus are numerous in the Edfu temple and on the huge pylons of the place.
The extensive religious reliefs provide us with insight into the religion and daily life routine in the period.
Decorated walls with religious carvings, colonnades, nilometer, and towering columns are breathtaking masterpieces to see in the Edfu temple.
4) The Great Timples of Abu Simple
Located on a short distance from the border of Sudan, in the village it derived its name Abu Simple and was built by Ramesses 11, overlooking the lake Nasser, Abu Simple twin temples are considered ad the most breathtaking archeological sites in all of Egypt. They are the perfect combination of massive size and credible beauty, making them a worthy temple of a god.
The modern story of Abu Simple is as fascinating as the ancient one. In 1964, with the construction of Aswan High Dam, the Egyptian authorities realized that the rising levels of waters, that eventually become lake Nasser, would represent a threat to the safety of the Abu Simple complex and therefore they commenced with one of the most heroic archeological engineering feats to rescue the site. The Abu Simple complex, alongside the hills that encompass it, was disassembled a stone by a stone and moved up 200 feet up the riverbank into their current location.
At the rear of the temple, exist four seated statues of four Egyptian gods. It also boasts one of the earliest attempts of depicting motions in a still image.
The twin temples of Abu Simple are very well worth a visit, Commissioned by Ramesses11, the main depicting him a god with huge colossal statues of him by the entrance, and the other for his beloved wife Nefertari, but what makes this temple so unique is that is the only temple that depicts a pharaoh and his wife as equal.
5)The Unfinished Obelisk of Hatshepsut.
Sits in a granite quarry in Aswan and is famed for its massive size, but also the work was carried out on it was never completed.
Had it been finished, it would have been the largest obelisk ever constructed by Ancient Egyptians. Yet, this was quite beneficial that it remains unfinished to give us an insight into know-how these colossal and iconic structures were erected.
Ancient Egyptians called them “Tech Inoue” which means pierce the sky, and they were constructed to commemorate an individual, an event, or to honor a god. They stood as proud achievements of Egyptian royalty.
It is believed that the commission of this obelisk was issued by Hatshepsut who reigned Egypt during the 15th century BC. She was one of the most predominant and formidable Egyptian pharaohs.
The queen had planned to raise the unfinished obelisk at the Karnak, unfortunately, the massive obelisk was never completed, the workmen discovered large cracks in the bedstone, and therefore the job was abandoned and it remained where it was ever since.
6) Aswan High Dam
On the 21st of July 1970, construction was completed on the Aswan High Dam in Egypt. Taking just over 10 years to build, the High Dam cost nearly 1 billion dollars, however, it was estimated that this cost was recovered in less than 5 years, thanks to income increase from agriculture production and hydroelectric generation.
A dam had already been built across the Nile near the city of Aswan in 1902 but it did not fulfill all the goals it was constructed for, despite being heightened twice by the 1930s.
Consequently designs for a new dam were sought. Following the Egyptian revolution led by the “Free Officers” movement, president Nasser started searching for new fundings for the new dam. Many countries initially offered fundings, but only USSR’s offer was accepted for the lower interest (only 2 percent) it promised. In addition to income from the Suez Canal following Nasser’s Nationalisation of the waterway provided further funding for its construction.
The completed dam is almost 4 kilometers long and 111 meters tall, the 550 meters long reservoir created what’s currently know as the lake of Nasser, the largest man-made lake.
The creation of the lake Nasser forced the relocation of some archeological sites that would otherwise have been lost beneath the water.
7) The Nubian Museum
It is located in the city of Aswan about 900 kilometers from Cairo, the capital of Egypt, on the eastern bank of the Nile.
A three-storey building with an outdoor area, constructed by local stone (mud), and situated over a rocky hill. The name and the designs are derived from ancient temples and other types of Egyptian architecture.
The Nubian Museum commemorates the Nubian culture and civilization grading from prehistory to the current time. Besides showcasing more than 3,000 objects found during the excavations carried out by the UNESCO campaign to save the Nubian heritage during the construction of the High Dam of Aswan, The Nubian Museum had a major diorama exhibit which shows the daily life routine of the Nubian villagers.
It is a community museum that organizes educational trips and, workshops and lectures for the students of the schools, and cultural seminars and events for the public.
It opened its door to the public on November 23rd, 1977. Alongside other partners, the museum was mainly designed by the renowned architect Dr. Mahmoud El-Hakim. This architecture piece of art was awarded, in 2001, the notable Agha Khan Award For Architecture.
8)The Tombs of Nobles
Dated back to the Old and Middle kingdoms (between 2500 BC and 2000 BC), they are located in Aswan to the south of Cairo.
The high cliffs, north of Kitchener’s Island, are honeycombed with the Tombs of the Nobles or “The Keepers of the Southern Gate” as they were titled.
To approach the Tombs of the Nobles, you will have to reach the west of the River Nile, a set of stairs cutting across the hills will take you up the hills to the tombs.
The paintings on walls of the tombs of the Nobles are beautifully alive and, unlike the tombs of royalties which depict the afterlife, they showcase everyday routine and different activities in a wonderful masterpiece of art.
It is notable to mention here that the Tombs of the Nobles were discovered by the British Archeological Lord Greenville in 1886.
