Other sights in Aswan
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Animalia
This small but charming museum has a collection of stuffed animals found in Nubia, samples of sedimentary rocks, great pictures of Nubia before it was flooded by Lake Nasser, a small shop selling Nubian crafts at fixed prices and a lovely roof terrace where drinks are served overlooking the gardens.
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B
Fekra
Fekra is located on 40,000 sq metres of land on the lake between the old and the High Dam, and overlooks Philae Island. The Fekra Cultural Centre – fekra means thought or idea in Arabic – is a fascinating project of artists from around the world, to support Nubian and Upper Egyptian artists, and to promote an international cultural exchange through organising artistic events and workshops. It is a magical place for its energy and wonderful location: a Nubian-style mudbrick house right on the lake, perfectly peaceful and a great place for swimming. It has accommodation for 12 people and a few extra Bedouin tents, with shared bathrooms. The people coming for workshops take…
reviewed
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C
Northern Quarries
In the Northern Quarries about 1.5km from town opposite the Fatimid Cemetery, is a huge discarded 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.
reviewed
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Seheyl Island
The large island situated just north of the old Aswan Dam, Seheyl was sacred to the goddess Anukis. Prior to the dam’s construction, the Nile would rush noisily through the granite boulders that emerged from the riverbed just south of here, forming the First Cataract, called Shellal by the Egyptians. Herodotus reported that an Egyptian official had told him that this was the source of the Nile, which flowed north and south from there. Now the waters flow slowly and Seheyl makes an ideal destination for a slightly longer felucca trip.
reviewed
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Kalabsha, Beit al-Wali and Kertassi
As a result of a massive Unesco effort, the temples of Kalabsha, Beit al-Wali and Kertassi were transplanted from a now-submerged site about 50km south of Aswan. The new site is on the west bank of Lake Nasser just south of the High Dam.
reviewed