Aswan
The southernmost of Egypt’s major tourist stops, Aswan wins visitors over with its Nile setting, its Philae temple rebuilt stone by stone, and its proximity to Abu Simbel.
Why visit Aswan?
Aswan stretches along the Nile where the river narrows between hills of pink granite, in an atmosphere noticeably more Nubian than the rest of the country. The city long marked the southern edge of ancient Egypt, facing the kingdom of Nubia.
The temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis, is its best-known symbol: dismantled and rebuilt on Agilkia Island in the 1970s to escape the rising waters of Lake Nasser after the High Dam was built. Aswan is also the gateway to Abu Simbel, about three hours south by road, where the colossi of Ramesses II underwent the same rescue.
The pace here is slower than in Cairo or Luxor: a felucca ride around the Nile islands, a stop at the Nubian market and a walk through the colourful villages of the west bank round out a visit to the major sites.
Not to be missed
- Temple of Philae
- Aswan High Dam
- Abu Simbel
- Unfinished Obelisk
- Nubian village and Nubia Museum
- Felucca ride on the Nile
