Edfu
was the Greek city of
Apollinopolis Magna, and is a religious and commercial center.
Located about 33 miles south of Isna and 65 miles north of Aswan,
this is a friendly town which produces surgar and pottery. It is
also a hub of a road network. It was the capital of the
second nome (Horus) of Upper Egypt. The main attraction here is
the Temple of Horus, which is considered by most to be the
best preserved cult temple in Egypt, but there is a mound of rubble
to the west of the Temple which is probably the original old city
of Djeba. The town was known as Tbot by the early Egyptians,
by the Greeks as Apollinopolis Magna and by Atbo during Coptic
times. It was the capital of the second nome (Horus) of Upper
Egypt.French and Polish teams have excavated some of the ancient
city, finding Old Kingdom mastabas and Byzantine house.
Kom Ombo
The Town of Kom Ombo
is located about 41 miles south of Idfu. Kom Ombo is the
ancient site of Ombos, which is from the ancient Egyptian word
'nubt', which means 'City of Gold'. It has been occupied since
prehistoric times. In ancient Egypt, the city was important
to the caravan routes from Nubia and various gold
mines. The local industry isprimarily agriculture, including
irrigated sugar cane and corn. Besides the native Egyptians,
there is a large population of Nubians who were displaced from
their land when Lake Nasser was created. It is a nice place
to visit, but is usually a day trip from Aswan
Philae
Tempel
South of the city of
Aswan lies the beautiful temple complex of Philae . Its main temple
was dedicated to the goddess Isis and its construction was
undertaken during the third century B.C. Philae was the last
bastion of ancient Egyptian religion and hieroglyphic usage. It is
also a superb example of threatened cultural heritage being saved
in the face of modern civilization's march to change the
environment Its various shrines and sanctuaries, which include The
Vestibule of Nectanebos I which is used as the entrance to the
island, the Temple of the Emperor Hadrian a Temple of Hathor,
Trajan's Kiosk (Pharaohs Bed)
Unfinished Oblisque
Much of the red
granite used for ancient temples and colossi came from quarries in
the Aswan area. Around these quarries are many inscriptions, many
of which describe successful quarrying projects. 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
High
Dam
10km from Aswan Town
, in the lotus-shaped monument to soviet-Egyptian cooperation , you
can take a lift to the top where you can see the Dam and the huge
electric generators which is the main source for electricity in
Egypt as well you can see lake Nasser which extends over 500km
south ,passing the Egyptian frontier into the Sudan.
Abu Simbel Tempel
Abu Simbel is a set
of two temples near the border of Egypt with Sudan. It was
constructed for the pharaoh Ramesses II who reigned for 67 years
during the 13th century BC (19th Dynasty). The Great Temple is
dedicated to Ramesses II and a statue of him is seated with three
other gods within the innermost part of the rock-cut temple (the
sanctuary). The temple's facade is dominated by four enormous
seated statues of the Pharaoh , although one has been damaged since
ancient times. The facade consists of four statues of the pharaoh
seated on his throne and represent his advancing age with the
youngest to the left as viewed from the front. Twice a year a ray
of sunlight would penetrate the front entrance .. The Small Temple
was probably completed ahead of the Great Temple and is dedicated
to Ramesses' favorite wife, Nefertari. At the entrance stand six
10-metre-high rock-cut statues - two of Ramesses and one of
Nefertari on either side of the doorway
Agha Khan Mousleum
Situated on the top
of a hill,the 48th imam of the shia imami ismailis, which is a
Moslem sect whose adherents livechifely in iran and Pakistan . with
a superb view over the city of Aswan. The late Agha Khan, who
maintained a villa here, is to be buried on the same
island.
Kalabsha Tempel
One of the
magnificent which moved after the construction of the high dam, the
temples are on an island reached by motor-boat. The temple is built
of sand stone blocks and is dedicated to the Nubian fertility God.
Its walls are covered with texts and inscriptions depicting
Egyptian deities such as Isis, Osiris and others
Kitshner Island
Reached only with a
Felucca (sail boat), an island situated in the middle of the Nile.
It is a very pleasant stroll amidst this unique Botanical Garden,
with a collection of exotic trees and flowers from the Orient and
Africa, planted by Lord Kitchener
Sound & Light At Philae
The spectacle
displays the past of the eternal city of ancient monuments are a
living evidence to its historical importance. The ancient monuments
of this city are displayed in a an interesting artistic manner
ranging from clear portrayal and entrainingnarration to pictorial
representation with musical background.
Nubian Mueseum
In November 1997, the
long-awaited Nubian Museum opened in Aswan. It has been worth the
wait as it displays thousands of antiquities that would have been
lost under the waters of Lake Nasser had not a major international
effort salvaged them during the 1960s and '70s. Also among the
highlights are scenes of Nubian life demonstrated with a range of
life-size displays. The museum features exhibits highlighting
aspects of Nubia influenced during the Greco-Roman, Coptic and
Islamic periods. The museum is built on a hill on the road heading
south from Aswan before the turnoff to the Unfinished Obelisk. The
facility sits amid gardens that feature antiquities, a waterway
representing the River Nile, a cave fitted out with pre-historic
wall carvings, and a Nubian house.
What to visit In and from
Aswan
