Southern Nile Valley
This Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Preserved by desert sand, which filled the…
Must-see attractions in Southern Nile Valley
Southern Nile Valley
Built to honour the goddess Isis, this was the last temple built in the classical Egyptian style. Construction began around 690 BC, and it was one of the…
Aswan
The evocative ruins of ancient Abu and the Aswan Museum (partially closed for renovation) lie at Elephantine Island's southern tip. Numbered plaques and…
Aswan
The little-visited Nubia Museum, opposite Basma Hotel, is a treat, a showcase of the history, art and culture of Nubia. Established in 1997 in cooperation…
Aswan
Kitchener’s Island, to the west of Elephantine Island, was given to Lord Horatio Kitchener in the 1890s when he was commander of the Egyptian army…
Aswan
Aswan was the source of ancient Egypt’s finest granite, used to make statues and embellish temples, pyramids and obelisks. The large unfinished obelisk in…
Temple of Kom Ombo & Crocodile Museum
Southern Nile Valley
Standing on a promontory at a bend in the Nile, where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank, is the Temple of Kom Ombo,…
Aswan
The high cliffs opposite Aswan, just north of Kitchener’s Island, are honeycombed with the tombs of the governors, the Keepers of the Gate of the South,…
Aswan
Elephantine Island's southern end comprises the site of ancient Abu. Its name meant both 'elephant' and 'ivory' in ancient Egyptian, a reminder of the…
Southern Nile Valley
At Gebel Silsila, the Nile narrows considerably to pass between steep sandstone cliffs, cluttered with ancient rock stelae and graffiti. The good quality…
Southern Nile Valley
Construction of the Temple of Khnum, the ram-headed creator god who fashioned humankind on his potter’s wheel, was begun by Ptolemy VI Philometor (180–45…
Southern Nile Valley
Kalabsha Temple is an impressive Ptolemaic and Roman structure, not unlike nearby Philae in its layout. The early 19th-century Swiss traveller Burckhardt …
Aswan
The fortress-like 7th-century Monastery of St Simeon was first dedicated to the local saint Anba Hedra, who renounced the world on his wedding day. It was…
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Southern Nile Valley
Originally known as Nekheb, Al Kab was one of the most important and oldest cities of ancient Egypt, dedicated to the vulture goddess Nekhbet. The site is…
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Southern Nile Valley
Cut into the ridge across the road from the village of Al Kab is a row of tombs. The most interesting is No 2, from the New Kingdom (1550–1069 BC), which…
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Aswan
Situated just north of the old Aswan Dam, the island of Seheyl was sacred to the goddess Anukis. Before the dam’s construction, the Nile would rush…
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Aswan
Completed in 1902, the Aswan Dam was a feat of engineering for its time and the largest dam in the world, measuring 2441m across, 50m high and 30m wide…
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Southern Nile Valley
The only Nubian monument visible on its original site, Qasr Ibrim once sat on top of a 70m-high cliff, about 60km north of Abu Simbel, but now has water…
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Aswan
The modern annexe of the museum has reopened with a delightful collection of objects, from weapons, pottery and utensils to statues, encased mummies and…
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Southern Nile Valley
The Temple of Amada, moved about 2.6km from its original location, is the oldest surviving monument on Lake Nasser. It was built jointly by 18th-dynasty…
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Aswan
Starting from the southern end, Sharia As Souq appears very much like the tourist bazaars all over Egypt, with slightly less persistent traders than…
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Aswan
Egypt's modern example of construction on a monumental scale, the controversial Aswan High Dam, 13km south of Aswan, contains 18 times the amount of…
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Aswan
Among the modern graves are some ruined mud-brick domed tombs, some of which go back to the Fatimid period (9th century). The domes are built on a drum…
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Aswan
This is a small but charming museum run by Mohamed Sobhi, a Nubian guide, and his family, who have dedicated part of their large house to the traditions,…
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Aswan
Fekra is a farm located on 40,000 sq m of land on the lake between the old dam and the High Dam, and overlooks Philae Island. The Fekra Cultural Centre –…
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Southern Nile Valley
Daraw has one of the largest camel markets in Egypt. Most of the camels come in caravans from Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan along the Darb Al Arba’een …
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Aswan
Isolated in the desert to the west of the Tombs of the Nobles is the ancient Western Quarry, where stone for many ancient monuments – possibly including…
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Southern Nile Valley
Close to the Kalabsha Temple, the Temple of Beit Al Wali, mostly built by Ramses II, is cut into the rock and fronted by a brick pylon. On the walls of…
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Aswan
The elegant Tomb of Mohammed Shah Aga Khan belongs to the 48th imam (leader) of the Ismaili sect. In his illustrious life he was hugely influential in the…
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Aswan
The Nilometer of the Temple of Khnum (plaque number 7) is below the southern balustrade of the temple. Built in the 26th dynasty, the Nilometer's stone…
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Southern Nile Valley
Built during the reign of the energetic pharaoh, the interior of the Temple of Ramses II was hewn from the rock and fronted by a stone pylon and colossal…
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Aswan
Gharb Seheyl, the village opposite Seheyl island, has become popular tourist attraction of late, both with excursions from Aswan and for those looking for…
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Aswan
Walking along the Corniche and watching the sunset over the islands and desert across the Nile is a favourite pastime in Aswan. The view from riverside…
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Southern Nile Valley
About 1km to the north of the Temple of Ramses II are the remains of the Temple of Dakka, begun by the Nubian pharaoh Arkamani (218–200 BC) using…
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Aswan
Descending to the river’s edge from beneath a sycamore tree near the Aswan Museum is the Nilometer of the Satet Temple (plaque number 10). Built in late…
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Southern Nile Valley
The small Nubian museum Hosh Al Kenzi, located opposite Dar Rasoul Mosque, was built in 1912 by the grandfather of the current resident, Haj Mohammed Eid…
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Southern Nile Valley
The small rock-cut Tomb of Pennut, viceroy of Nubia under Ramses VI (1143–1136 BC), was originally situated at Aniba, 40km southwest of Amada. This well…
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Aswan
A three-storey building on 146,000 sq metres of land, the Nile Museum exhibits antique items that tell of the waterway's history and photos that…
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Southern Nile Valley
The rock-cut Temple of Derr, built by Ramses II, stood on a curve of the Nile. The pylon and court have disappeared, but there are some well-preserved…
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Southern Nile Valley
The best-preserved of the caravanserais in Esna, the beautiful Wikalat Al Gidawi was named after the merchant Shahbandar Al Tuggar Al Sayed Hasan Al…
