Aswan, Egypt

Aswan, a city on the Nile River, has been southern Egypt’s strategic and commercial gateway since antiquity. It contains significant archaeological sites like the Philae temple complex, on Agilkia Island near the landmark Aswan Dam. Philae’s ruins include the columned Temple of Isis, dating to the 4th century B.C. Downriver, Elephantine Island holds the Temple of Khnum, from the Third Dynasty.

I had booked a 5 day cruise on the Nile river and visiting the many historical sites in this part of Egypt. My trip from Cairo to Aswan was supposed to be about a 12 hour train trip overnight, however for no apparent reason became a 15 hour trip. Not to worry, I arrived tired and hungry but I arrived, haha.

8/11/19

ASWAN HIGH DAM

After being picked up from the train station about 2pm, I was whisked away to the first stop which was the High Dam. The Aswan High Dam was completed in the 1960s and is an embankment dam built across the Nile. Its significance largely eclipsed the previous Aswan Low Dam initially completed in 1902 downstream. Based on the success of the Low Dam, then at its maximum utilization, construction of the High Dam became a key objective of the government following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952; with its ability to better control flooding, provide increased water storage for irrigation and generate hydroelectricity the dam was seen as pivotal to Egypt's planned industrialization. Like the earlier implementation, the High Dam has had a significant effect on the economy and culture of Egypt.
It is also important to mention that the construction of the High Dam also caused the displacement of around 100,000 people that had lived on the banks of the Nile river. The story goes that the Egyptian Government gave them money to relocate but who knows.

There is not a lot that pictures will show but here are pictures looking at the Nile river side of the dam

These show the Lake Nasser side of the dam

PHILAE TEMPLE

Philae is an island in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam, downstream of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasse. Philae was originally located near the expansive First Cataract of the Nile in Upper Egypt and was the site of an Egyptian temple complex.
Philae dates back to the 6th Century and has been designated a world heritage site.

Approaching Philae Temple by boat.

Following is a collection of pictures that represent the different parts of the temple that you will see. Hopefully it also gives you an idea of how large it is.

This is from the other side as we were leaving the island.

9/11/19

ABU SIMBEL

This morning was a ridiculous time to get up. We had to be up by 3.30am to meet the bus at 4am that would transfer us to Abu Simbel. It was about 3 hours by bus so a 6 hour round trip to Abu Simbel.

The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples at Abu Simbel, a village in Aswan near the border with Sudan. They are situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km southwest of Aswan and built by Ramesses 2nd.
At either side to the entrance of the first temple are 4 statues of Ramesses himself which are 20 metes tall.

10/11/19

EDFU TEMPLE

The Temple of Edfu is an Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in Edfu, Upper Egypt. The city was known in the Hellenistic period after the chief god Horus, who was identified as Apollo. This temple is known to be the most complete temple in Egypt.
The entrance to the temple stands at 36 metres high and is quite imposing as you get closer. It is amazing they could build something of this size.