Aswan is one of the most important historic cities in the world, located at the far south of Egypt; the city is the place for many Ancient Egyptian monuments. The city houses more than 1.5 million inhabitants from different races and cultures and is a part of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in craft and folk art category.
The city of Aswan is known as the land of gold, as it represented a large necropolis for the pharaohs’ mummies and treasures for thousands of years. Nubians are the indigenous of Aswan and they represent 30% of the total population of the city, they have their distinctive culture and language, and they are very welcoming and generous people.
Aswan has a desert climate with a very hot summer; it’s considered as one of the hottest and driest cities in the world, however, in winter the situation is much better.
History
The Early history of the city is quite outstanding, as it represented the focal point for the ancient Egyptians and also the Ptolemies, while many other Egyptian monuments acquired their granite from the local quarries of Aswan.
Historically, the city of Aswan was one of the most important cities in Upper Egypt and the southern gateway to it. The city is mentioned by numerous ancient writers, including Antonine Itinerary, Herodotus, Pliny the Elder, Strabo, Stephanus of Byzantium, Ptolemy, and Vitruvius.
Aswan flourished in the Islamic era in the 10th century AD and represented the route to the coast of the Red Sea, from which ships sailed to Hijaz, Yemen, and India. The city was also a very important cultural center in the 6th and 7th centuries AH.
Places to visit
The importance of Aswan was reflected on its significant monuments. The city is the home for Philae Temple (Temple of Isis), Abu Simbel Temples which is one of the most visited places in Egypt, the unique Kom-Ombo Temple which is a duplicate mirroring itself on either side of a central axis, Temple of Kalabsha.
Aside from the ancient Egyptian attractions, you will have a great time visiting places like Aswan Botanical Garden, Aswan High dam, the Amazing Elephantine Island, Nubian Village, and the Nubian Museum.
For shopping and purchasing some souvenirs, Aswan Market is the place to go, or you can buy some of the handcrafted works from locals.
What to eat?
The city has a lot of good restaurants serving different variety of food from the Egyptian cousin and the International cousin as well, but we recommend trying the traditional Nubian food, as its unique to this area of the country.
The city is located alongside the Nile, in addition it houses the lake of Nasser, so you can expect a good and fresh fish dishes.
Night Life
The night puts the whole city on display with Amazing light work on the temples and other monuments; other option is a Nile Cruise for a fresh breeze of air and Amazing View of the Nile.
Danza, que se puede ver a las 9:30 am todos los días de octubre a mayo.