Showing 1-14 of 14 results
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Abu Ruins
A path through the garden behind the Aswan Museum leads to the evocative ruins of ancient Abu. Swiss and German teams, excavating here since the early 20th century, have made the site into an outdoor museum. Numbered plaques and reconstructed buildings mark the island's long history from around 3000 BC to the 14th century AD.
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Aswan Botanical Gardens
To the west of Elephantine is the Aswan Botanical Gardens, still often referred to by its old name, Kitchener's Island. The island was given to Lord Horatio Kitchener in the 1890s when he was commander of the Egyptian army. Indulging his passion for beautiful palms and plants, Kitchener turned the entire island into a stunning botanical garden, importing plants from the Far East, India and parts of Africa. Covering 6.8 hectares, it is filled with birds as well as hundreds of species of flora.
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Aswan Museum
The fascinating Aswan Museum lies at the southern end of Elephantine. The older part of the museum is housed in the villa of Sir William Willcocks, architect of the old Aswan Dam. Built in 1898, it became a museum in 1912. The newer extension was added in 1998.
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Elephantine Island
Elephantine Island is the site of ancient Abu (meaning both elephant and ivory in ancient Egyptian), both names a reminder of the island's once important ivory trade. At the beginning of the 1st dynasty (about 3000 BC) a fortress was built on the island to establish Egypt's southern frontier. Abu soon became an important customs point and trading centre.
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Fatimid Cemetery
Behind the Nubia Museum is the vast so-called Fatimid Cemetery, a collection of low mud-brick buildings with domed roofs. Although most tombs are modern, some of the mausolea clustered towards the back of the cemetery go back to the Tulunid period (9th century).
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Monastery of St Simeon
The fortress-like 7th-century Monastery of St Simeon was first dedicated to the 4th-century local saint, Anba Hadra, who renounced the world on his wedding day. It was rebuilt in the 10th century and dedicated to St Simeon. From here the monks travelled into Nubia, in the hope of converting the Nubians to Christianity, until Salah ad-Din destroyed the monastery in 1173.
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Nubia Museum
The Nubia Museum is a showcase of the history, art and culture of Nubia and is a real treat. Established in 1997, in cooperation with Unesco, the museum is a reminder of the history and culture of the Nubians, much of which was lost when Lake Nasser flooded their land after the building of the dams. Exhibits are beautifully displayed in huge halls, where clearly written explanations take you from 4500 BC through to the present day.
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Nubian Villages
Sandwiched between the ruins of Abu and the Mövenpick are two colourful Nubian Villages, Siou and Koti. Strolling through their shady alleys and gardens is a wonderful way to experience life on modern Elephantines.
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Sculpture Park
The Sculpture Park houses the sculptures made by artists from around the world, during the International Sculpture Symposium, held each spring at the Basma Hotel. Sculpture aficionados can get here, taking the road to Shellal, and instead of turning right towards the ferry to Philae, take the road up the hill. Continue until you reach the top; on the left is the quarry, on the right the sculptures.
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Sharia as-Souq
Starting from the southern end, Sharia as-Souq appears very much like the tourist bazaars all over Egypt, with persistent traders trying to lure passers-by into their shops to buy T-shirts, perfume, spices, beaded galabiyyas (robes) and roughly carved copies of Pharaonic statues. But a closer look down side alleys and walking further north reveals more exotic elements, hinting at the markets south in Sudan and Africa.
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Tomb of Mohammed Shah Aga Khan
High up on the west bank stands the elegant Tomb of Mohammed Shah Aga Khan, the 48th imam (leader) of the Ismaili sect, who died in 1957, and of his wife the Begum, who died in 2000. Aswan was their favourite wintering place, and the family's white villa is in the garden beneath the tomb.
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Tombs of the Nobles
The high cliffs opposite Aswan, just north of Kitchener's Island, are honeycombed with the Tombs of the Nobles, tombs of the governors, the keepers of the Gate of the South, and other dignitaries of ancient Elephantine. Six are open to the public. The tombs date from the Old and Middle Kingdoms and most follow a simple plan, with an entrance hall, a pillared room and a corridor leading to the burial chamber.
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Unfinished Obelisk
The Unfinished Obelisk is a huge discarded granite obelisk. Three sides of the shaft, which is nearly 42m long, were completed except for the inscriptions. At 1168 tonnes, the completed obelisk would have been the single heaviest piece of stone the Egyptians ever fashioned. However, a flaw appeared in the rock at a late stage in the process. So it lies where the disappointed stonemasons abandoned it, still partly attached to the parent rock, with no indication of what it was intended for.
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Western Quarry
Isolated in the desert to the west of the Tomb of the Nobles is the ancient Western Quarry, where stone for many ancient monuments - possibly including the Colossi of Memnon - was quarried. The large unfinished obelisk, made for Pharaoh Seti I (1294-1279 BC), was decorated on three sides of its apex before it was abandoned. Nearby the ancient quarry face and marks are clearly visible, along with the tracks on which the huge blocks were dragged down to the Nile.
Showing 1-14 of 14 results
