Aswan
About Aswan
Egypt's southernmost city — where the Nile runs slow and wide, Nubian culture flourishes, and the relocated temples of Abu Simbel await.
Aswan is Egypt at its most serene. The Nile here is dotted with granite islands and the pace of life slows noticeably. The light is extraordinary — Nubian painters have long known that the quality of light at this latitude, 900 km south of Cairo, has a golden warmth that photographers travel the world to capture.
The iconic Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, was relocated stone by stone to Agilkia Island in the 1970s to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser — one of the greatest feats of archaeological preservation in history. The Unfinished Obelisk in the northern quarries shows exactly how the ancient Egyptians cut these giants from bedrock 3,500 years ago.
Two hours south by road lies the greatest secret of ancient Egypt: the twin temples of Abu Simbel, carved directly into a cliff face by Ramesses II to announce his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. Like Philae, they were moved in their entirety during the 1960s. A feat that still defies easy comprehension.
We combine Aswan with Luxor on our Nile Cruise packages, or offer it as an extension to Luxor day trips.