Aswan

During Eid Al Adha (Festival of the Sacrifice) I went to Upper Egypt. My first stop was Aswan, a beautiful city at the Nile river in the south of Egypt.

After a short flight I arrived in the night at the Memnon Hotel, a cheap and good place to stay. Early in the morning I started my exploration of the city at the Corniche El Nile, the promenade of Aswan. You have a perfect few at the islands in the Nile, the western dessert at the other side and at all the Falukas and cruise liners.

Nile cruiser

One of the must see in Aswan is the Elephantine Island. On it you have two romantic Nubian villages and the ruins of an ancient town. Right next to Elephantine you have the botanical garden of the Kitchener Island. Kitchener was the former British Governor of this region.

View over the ruins of the ancient town on Elephantine Island

My V.I.P. boat to Kitchener Island

Kitchener Island

Arriving on the other side of the Nile river I took a Camel to the ruins of Saint Simeon Monastery. 

Me on the Camel

Saint Simeon Monastery

The next day I visited the Nubian Museum. You should not miss it. The museum shows the change within the Nubian culture over the past 5000 years. An eye catcher is the tall statue of Ramses II.

Ramses II

A new tourist magnet is the Aswan high dam and the artificial lake Nasr.

Lake Nasr

Aswan High Dam