Header Dot Aswan


Sub Dot DISTRICTS KEY ATTRACTIONS


Sub DotElephantine Island:
Elephantine Island or the "Island" as named by the inhabitants who situated in front of Aswan city. It was the last of the Egyptian cities in the south, and a fortress defending the country against any attacks from the south. It was named "Abou" by the pharaohs, meaning the Elephant city or the centre of ivory trade, and its Godhead was "Khanom" and the Golden Ram was its sacred animal. There are plenty of tombs and temples in the island foremost of which are:
  • Amenophis the third temple:and Alexander the second Gate.
  • The Nile Ammeter: It was discovered in 1870 and was restored by Mahmoud bey during the reign of Ismail. It is joined to Amenophis temple by stairs, where the clergymen were charged of observing the Nile water level and recording it. However, after the construction of the high dam it is no more functioning. The scales dates from the late empire with the inscription written in Dometic and Greek characters.
  • The Museum: It is called "Aswan Museum" and comprises a croup of antiquities representing the various historical eras, such as mummy of the sacred ram symbol of Godhead "Khanom".
  • Aswan well: The geographical scientist "Artosten" chose this well in measuring the circumstances of the earth.


Sub DotThe Philia Temple:
Was originally located on the Philia Island but was endangered due to the construction of the High Dam. With international donations the temple was moved to the Agilika island. The temple was constructed as a dedication for Isis.


Sub DotAswan High Dam:
One of the modern miracles. It was built in 1960’s to safe Egypt from the Nile floods and save water for the time of droughts. The Dam along with Aswan Dam helped increase the agricultural land in Egypt 30% and provided Electricity for all of Egypt.


Sub DotThe Agha Khan Mausoleum:
Was built as a burial place for the Ismaili’s spiritual leader the Agha Khan in 1950. The Ismaili’s is a shiite religious sect who consider themselves the descendants of the Fatimids. Upon the death of the Agha Khan he was succeeded by his son Karim. The Agha Khan chose Aswan to be his burial place because he loved it and used to stay in winter in Aswan.


Sub DotThe Kalabsha Temple:
One of the temples in Aswan that was relocated after the building of the High Dam because it was threatened by the underground water. The temple is a classical structure of Ptolemaic period with pylon courtyard, sanctuary rooms and hypostyle hall. The rear wall of the temple has images of Mandulis with his vulture feathered cloaks.


Sub DotAl Wali House Temple:
It is one of the most beautiful temple engraved in the rocks in Nubia. It was established by King Ramses the second, and was located at a distance of 57 km, at the south of the High Dam, but was moved and rebuilt at the west of the High Dam, next to Kalabsha Temple.


Sub DotThe Kitchner Island:
Was once owned by the leader of the Egyptian army General consul  Horatio Kitchener. Due to his love to plantation the consul brought different plants from all over the world. The island now contains some rare species of plants and it is a quite place to visit by felucca the typical Egyptian sailing boat.


Sub DotUnfinished Obelisk:
The Unfinished Obelisk located in the Northern Quarry still lies where a crack was discovered as it was being hewn from the rock. Possibly intended as a companion to the Lateran Obelisk, originally at Karnak but now in Rome, it would have weighed over 2.3 million pounds and would have been the worlds largest piece of stone ever handled. However, a crack in the stone occurred, which caused it to be abandoned. Tools left by it's builders have given us much insight into how such work was performed. The site has recently been renovated and equipped with tourist facilities. Nearby is the Fatimid Cemetery.


Sub DotMonastery of St. Simon:
originally founded in the 7th century AD. Rebuilt in the 10th century and eventually destroyed by Salah al-Din in 1173, the monastery was a base for missionary monks who converted the Nubians to Christianity. Frescoes of the Apostles still remaining in the roofless Basilica.


Sub DotTemple of Kom Ombo:
The temple of Kom Ombo is located to 30 miles (48 km) north of Aswan and was built during the Graeco Roman period. Kom Ombo is an unusual double temple built during the rule Ptolemaic dynasty. However one side of the temple is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world. The other side is dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris, also known as Horus the Elder. Today, much of the temple of Kom Ombo has been destroyed by the Nile, earthquakes, and later builders who used the stones for other projects. Also some of the relief’s inside were defaced by Copts who once used the temple as a church. Temple of Kom Ombo


Sub DotTemple Of Edfu:
Edfu is situated 60Km to the north of Aswan and the town of Edfu, on the west bank of the Nile 56km south of Esna, actually is today an important centre for sugar production and pottery-making. The modern city derives its name from the ancient Egyptian Djeba which was established on a mound on the east bank. The site of Edfu was known as Wetjeset-hor (classical name Apollinopolis Magna), the place where the god Horus, was worshipped and where the battle between Horus and his traditional enemy Seth in ancient mythology took place. Actually the Temple of Edfu is the best preserved temple in Egypt. Building it began in 327 b.c. by Ptolemy III and was finished during the reign of Ptolemy IV. Some other Ptolemic kings and the Roman Emperor Augustus contributed to this temple. it is believed that the construction of this temple took 180 years.































 
Copyright (c) 2007 Deluxe Travel Egypt, all rights reserved. Designed & Developed by Trigon Solutions