Southern Nile Valley
This Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Preserved by desert sand, which filled the…
Must-see attractions in Southern Nile Valley
Abu Simbel
Carved out of the mountain on the west bank of the Nile between 1274 and 1244 BC, this imposing main temple of the Abu Simbel complex was as much…
Southern Nile Valley
Built to honour the goddess Isis, this was the last temple built in the classical Egyptian style. Construction began around 690 BC, and it was one of the…
Abu Simbel
Overlooking Lake Nasser, the Great Temple of Ramses II and the Temple of Hathor, which together make up the Temples of Abu Simbel, are among the most…
Aswan
The little-visited Nubia Museum, opposite Basma Hotel, is a treat, a showcase of the history, art and culture of Nubia. Established in 1997 in cooperation…
Aswan
Kitchener’s Island, to the west of Elephantine Island, was given to Lord Horatio Kitchener in the 1890s when he was commander of the Egyptian army…
Aswan
The evocative ruins of ancient Abu and the Aswan Museum (partially closed for renovation) lie at Elephantine Island's southern tip. Numbered plaques and…
Aswan
Aswan was the source of ancient Egypt’s finest granite, used to make statues and embellish temples, pyramids and obelisks. The large unfinished obelisk in…
Temple of Kom Ombo & Crocodile Museum
Southern Nile Valley
Standing on a promontory at a bend in the Nile, where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank, is the Temple of Kom Ombo,…
Southern Nile Valley
At Gebel Silsila, the Nile narrows considerably to pass between steep sandstone cliffs, cluttered with ancient rock stelae and graffiti. The good quality…
Southern Nile Valley
Construction of the Temple of Khnum, the ram-headed creator god who fashioned humankind on his potter’s wheel, was begun by Ptolemy VI Philometor (180–45…
Southern Nile Valley
Kalabsha Temple is an impressive Ptolemaic and Roman structure, not unlike nearby Philae in its layout. The early 19th-century Swiss traveller Burckhardt …
Aswan
The high cliffs opposite Aswan, just north of Kitchener’s Island, are honeycombed with the tombs of the governors, the Keepers of the Gate of the South,…
Aswan
Elephantine Island's southern end comprises the site of ancient Abu. Its name meant both 'elephant' and 'ivory' in ancient Egyptian, a reminder of the…
Southern Nile Valley
Cut into the ridge across the road from the village of Al Kab is a row of tombs. The most interesting is No 2, from the New Kingdom (1550–1069 BC), which…
Aswan
Situated just north of the old Aswan Dam, the island of Seheyl was sacred to the goddess Anukis. Before the dam’s construction, the Nile would rush…
Southern Nile Valley
The only Nubian monument visible on its original site, Qasr Ibrim once sat on top of a 70m-high cliff, about 60km north of Abu Simbel, but now has water…
Abu Simbel
Next to the Great Temple of Ramses II sits the smaller of Abu Simbel's temples. The Temple of Hathor has a rock-cut facade fronted by six 10m-high…
Aswan
The modern annexe of the museum has reopened with a delightful collection of objects, from weapons, pottery and utensils to statues, encased mummies and…
Southern Nile Valley
The Temple of Amada, moved about 2.6km from its original location, is the oldest surviving monument on Lake Nasser. It was built jointly by 18th-dynasty…
Aswan
Starting from the southern end, Sharia As Souq appears very much like the tourist bazaars all over Egypt, with slightly less persistent traders than…
Aswan
This is a small but charming museum run by Mohamed Sobhi, a Nubian guide, and his family, who have dedicated part of their large house to the traditions,…
Aswan
Fekra is a farm located on 40,000 sq m of land on the lake between the old dam and the High Dam, and overlooks Philae Island. The Fekra Cultural Centre –…
Southern Nile Valley
Daraw has one of the largest camel markets in Egypt. Most of the camels come in caravans from Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan along the Darb Al Arba’een …
Southern Nile Valley
Close to the Kalabsha Temple, the Temple of Beit Al Wali, mostly built by Ramses II, is cut into the rock and fronted by a brick pylon. On the walls of…
Aswan
The elegant Tomb of Mohammed Shah Aga Khan belongs to the 48th imam (leader) of the Ismaili sect. In his illustrious life he was hugely influential in the…
Aswan
The Nilometer of the Temple of Khnum (plaque number 7) is below the southern balustrade of the temple. Built in the 26th dynasty, the Nilometer's stone…
Southern Nile Valley
Built during the reign of the energetic pharaoh, the interior of the Temple of Ramses II was hewn from the rock and fronted by a stone pylon and colossal…
Aswan
Gharb Seheyl, the village opposite Seheyl island, has become popular tourist attraction of late, both with excursions from Aswan and for those looking for…
Aswan
Walking along the Corniche and watching the sunset over the islands and desert across the Nile is a favourite pastime in Aswan. The view from riverside…
Southern Nile Valley
About 1km to the north of the Temple of Ramses II are the remains of the Temple of Dakka, begun by the Nubian pharaoh Arkamani (218–200 BC) using…
Southern Nile Valley
The small rock-cut Tomb of Pennut, viceroy of Nubia under Ramses VI (1143–1136 BC), was originally situated at Aniba, 40km southwest of Amada. This well…
Southern Nile Valley
The best-preserved of the caravanserais in Esna, the beautiful Wikalat Al Gidawi was named after the merchant Shahbandar Al Tuggar Al Sayed Hasan Al…
Southern Nile Valley
Built in 1082 AD, this Fatimid minaret is one of the oldest in Egypt. The various layers, square base, cylindrical upper part, concave octagonal drum and…
Southern Nile Valley
The Speos of Horemheb was started by the New Kingdom pharaoh Horemheb (1323–1295 BC) and finished by the officials of the later Ramesside kings. The small…
Southern Nile Valley
The Temple of Maharraqa, the smallest of the three at Wadi As Subua, originally stood 40km north at the ancient site of Ofendina. Dedicated to Isis and…
Southern Nile Valley
Just north of the Kalabsha Temple are the scant but picturesque remains of the Temple of Kertassi, with two Hathor columns, a massive architrave and four…
Aswan
On the hilltop above the Tombs of the Nobles lies this small domed tomb, constructed for a local sheikh or holy man. The steep climb up is rewarded with…
Aswan
This lovely beach on the Nile is safe for swimming, but you'll need a motor boat to get there, or walk or take a camel from Gharb Seheyl.
Aswan
The fortress-like 7th-century Monastery of St Simeon was first dedicated to the local saint Anba Hedra, who renounced the world on his wedding day. It was…
