Discover the Best Things to See in Aswan

The Best Things to See in Aswan are a way to enjoy the picturesque nature of the city with its ancient history represented by the presence of the most important Pharaonic temples such as the Temple of Abu Simbel and Philae, which bear witness to a deep history of thousands of years. There are also distinctive places suitable for enjoying in addition to seeing the special and unique culture of the people of the city while wandering and seeing one of the most important dams, which is the High Dam in Aswan. 

1- Philae Temple

Aswan is one of the most prominent tourist cities in Egypt thanks to the presence of its archaeological landmarks. The Temple of Philae comes at the top of the Best Things to See in Aswan, as the temple dates back to the third century BC. The temple went through several diverse historical stages between the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine eras, and of course each era left its mark on the temple.

The Temple of Philae contains buildings dating back to the Ptolemaic era and is one of the most prominent temples built by King Ptolemy II. It was dedicated to the goddess Isis, the goddess of motherhood among the ancient Egyptians. The temple also shows a view of the birth chamber where the Egyptians celebrated the birth of Horus.

Philae Island also includes many Pharaonic monuments, the most important of which is the Shrine of Nectanebo I and the Temple of Ares Ophis, which dates back to the Greco-Roman era, in addition to the Temple of Mandolin, which dates back to the Roman era. There are also temples dating back to the Roman and Ptolemaic eras, such as the Temple of Hathor and Imhotep and the Shrine of Trajan.

The temple was submerged when the Nile waters rose, which necessitated its division and then reassembly in 1972. The temple was moved from its location to Agilika Island, which is 500 meters away from the location of Philae Island. The transfer process took two years because the Nile waters surrounded the island and the temples, which posed a threat to the archaeological monuments at the time and necessitated their transfer.

2- Aswan High Dam

The High Dam is one of the Best Things to See in Aswan. It is also known as the Aswan Dam and was officially opened in January 1971. The construction cost reached one billion dollars and its length is 3,830 meters while its height is about 111 meters. Its total volume is about 44.3 million cubic meters. It also has a reservoir with a capacity of 169 billion cubic meters.

One of the most important benefits of this dam is the ability to control the annual Nile floods that used to occur in the past for the first time in history. In addition to the possibility of providing water for irrigation and generating electricity. About ninety thousand Nubians were relocated from their areas in addition to moving the Abu Simbel Temple to avoid its flooding.

3- Abu Simbel Temples

Among the Best Things to See in Aswan is the Abu Simbel Temple, which is an archaeological complex consisting of two temples with a number of statues. It was built by King Ramses II, one of the most important kings who ruled ancient Egypt. The temple is located in Aswan Governorate and was not discovered until 1813 by researcher Johann Burckhardt, then another attempt was made to explore it in 1817 by Egyptologist Giovanni Belzoni.

The Abu Simbel Temple is one of the most important Egyptian monuments, dating back 3000 years. It is believed that King Ramses II built the temple to celebrate his victory in the famous Battle of Kadesh on the southern border of the ancient Egyptian Empire.

In the mid-twentieth century, the temple was threatened with submersion due to the construction of the High Dam, so the Egyptian government cooperated with UNESCO in addition to the cooperation of about 50 countries from all over the world in this project. During it, the temple was dismantled and moved to its new location west of its original location, and its transfer took about five years. The Abu Simbel Temple was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

4- Aswan Botanical Garden

Apart from the temples, we have a garden, which is of course at the top of the list of the Best Things to See in Aswan, which is the Aswan Botanical Garden or as it is known as the Kitchener Island Garden. One of the most prominent tourist places in Aswan Governorate, it was founded by the British Kitchener in the late 19th century and spans 1.5 hectares.

It is characterized by being home to a group of rare plants and trees that were brought from all over the world, including the continent of Africa and Asia, as well as Australia and Latin America. All visitors can enjoy walking between the paths surrounding the plants and flowers while those paths are decorated with palm trees.

In addition to its beauty, the garden provides you with a quiet haven, especially for all nature lovers or those interested in plants. You can see the huge banyan tree, which is one of the largest trees in Egypt and was brought from India. The garden also includes a variety of desert plants in addition to a pond filled with lotus flowers and water lilies.

5- Elephantine Island

Don’t miss the opportunity to visit Philae Island, which is an island located in the middle of the Nile River. It was considered one of the strongest fortresses on the southern borders of Egypt. It separates the Nile River into two opposite channels in Aswan. This island used to include the Temple of Philae, which was moved from Philae Island to Agilika Island after the construction of the High Dam. It was installed as it was before to avoid being flooded in the past.

When it comes to the Best Things to See in Aswan, we must mention the most famous tourist places that visitors come to from all over the world. It includes a large number of the oldest distinctive historical monuments dating back to the time of ancient Egyptian civilization, which tourists come from all over the world to see in addition to enjoying the natural scenery in the place.