Aswan

Aswan is a busy market and tourist center located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract. The modern city has expanded and includes the formerly separate community on the island of Elephantine.

Aswan includes five monuments within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae (despite Aswan being neither Nubian, nor between Abu Simbel and Philae); these are the Old and Middle Kingdom tombs of Qubbet el-Hawa, the town of Elephantine, the stone quarries and Unfinished Obelisk, the Monastery of St. Simeon and the Fatimid Cemetery. The city’s Nubian Museum is an important archaeological center, containing finds from the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia prior to the Aswan Dam’s flooding of all of Lower Nubia.

The city is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the category of craft and folk art. Aswan joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2017.

Aswan is known for its laid-back ambiance and stunning landscapes. Visit the High Dam, take a boat to the picturesque Philae Temple, and consider an optional excursion to the remarkable Abu Simbel Temples.