A monument to Asyut's period of wealth is the Asyut barrage. Built over the Nile between 1898-1902 to regulate the flow of water into the Ibrahimiyya Canal and assure irrigation of the valley as far north as Beni Suef, it also serves as a bridge across the Nile. As the barrage still has strategic importance, photography is forbidden: keep your camera out of sight.