Aswan  Maps and Destination Data and Information:

Aswan & Lake Nasser Map	Aswan City Map

Aswan, Egypt

Location: Aswan Governorate is the last One from the South of Egypt it is border along with the huge Lake Nasser and Sudan Country Border

It is a major mining area for aluminum and iron as well as being a major stop for the cruise boats, as most of the Nile cruises sail between Aswan and Luxor, and vice versa. The local market is a very good place to do your holiday shopping, especially as you will find the best types of fresh spices here.
 

The population of the Aswan governorate is around 1.2 million and mostly consists of Nubians and local tribes of Kenzo. The city became very important after the construction of the high dam, and the worldwide rescue campaign of the Nubian monuments during and after its construction.

Aswan Meaning and History: Aswan is derived from the Ancient Egyptian word Swan, which means “the market”! It was located on the main trading route between Egypt and the southern lands, where gold, slaves and ivory passed into Egypt. The governors of the 6th Dynasty sent many expeditions to explore the many African countries located to the south, and most of these started from Aswan! It was also the major source of granite, sandstone and quartzite used in the construction of the various monuments throughout Egypt!

 

In Ancient times the God Khoum was the major God of the city, but in later periods the Goddess Isis, Goddess of magic and maternity, became the main patron God, with a temple being built for her at Philae.

Weather: Because of the location of Aswan, just north of the Tropic Of Cancer, the city enjoys a very hot climate throughout the year! It is advised to cover your head when walking about and drink water constantly.

Listed below is a table of the temperatures in Aswan throughout the year.

How to Get To Aswan:

• By flight: EgyptAir runs daily flights to Aswan and the flight duration is about 70 minutes from Cairo. Flights land at Aswan International Airport, the most sophisticated airport in Upper Egypt, located 15Km to the south west of the city.

• By train: You can reach Aswan by train from Cairo or Luxor; the train station is located in the city centre.

Sleeper trains: From Cairo to Aswan /Cairo

What is around?

Luxor to the North: Please click here or go to Luxor Page

Abu Simbel to the South:

Nubia is derived from the ancient word 'Nebu' which stands for 'Gold'. The place really stands true to its meaning with the renowned Temple of Abu Simbel built by Ramesses II to exhibit his divine power. J.L. Burckhardt first discovered the Temple of Abu Simbel in 1813 AD when he spotted the façade of the temple from the top of the mountain when he was about to leave the place through the Nile River.

Major Tourist Attractions

Temple of Abu Simbel
At the Temple of Abu Simbel, 65 ft high four statues of the king are shown sitting in pairs at the entrance. The head and upper body of the statues on the left fell down during the ancient period. East facing temple has the sculpture of the Re-Horakhty, the Sun God; excavated on the niche right above the entrance. The temple is build in such a manner that the rays of the sun illuminate even the innermost sanctuary of the temple and fall on the seated statues of the Ptah, Amun-Re, Ramesses II and Re-Horakhty twice a year, i.e., on 22nd February and 22nd October.

The temple is carved out of a colossal sandstone cliff near the Second Cataract above the Rive Nile. With the construction of High Dam and forming of the Lake Nasser in 1960s, it became necessary to move the temple from its original location to some higher ground. The salvation and transferring of the Abu Simbel was done with the help of the UNESCO, which was a monumental task and was accomplished successfully in 1963 at the cost of 36 million dollars.

Sunk Relief of the God Hapy
There is another noteworthy relief of the God Hapy, the God of Flood at Abu Simbel. The relief of the god is just below the seat of the huge statues of Ramesses II and appears twice. Hapy is the symbol of fertility, which results from the Nile Flood. Hapy God is an asexual god represented by large breast and swollen belly. The god is depicted holding stems of the lotus (Symbol of Upper Egypt) on his left hand and stems of papyrus (Symbol of Lower Egypt) on his right hand. His crown also displays these plants.

Temple of Hathor
Temple of Hathor is also built by Ramesses II and dedicated to Hathor, Goddess of Love and Music and his wife and queen Nefertari. The façade of the temple is built like a pylon and has 33 ft high six standing statues. The entrance is adorned on each side with two statues of Ramesses with Nefertari fully clad as Hathor. Smaller statues are of their children that flank the massive statues.