Top 21 Things to Do in Aswan – rated places to visit in Aswan

Things to Do in Aswan and Rated places to visit in Aswan.
1- Abu Simbel
2- Philae Temple
3- Unfinished Obelisk
4- Elephantine Island
5- Nubian Museum
6- Botanical Garden
7- Aswan Museum
8- Nubian Village
9- Aswan Dam
10- Tombs of the Nobles (Qubbet el-Hawa)
11- Monastery of Saint Simeon
12- Mausoleum of Aga Khan
13- The Famine Stela
14- Lake Nasser
15- Temple of Dakka
16- Beit el-Wali
17- Temple of Wadi es-Sebua
18- Qasr Ibrim
19- Temple of Kalabsha
20- Amada Temple
21- Maharraqa

At 950kms from Cairo, following the course of the Nile towards the south is the legendary city of Aswan. Aswan comes from the ancient Egyptian word “soun”, which meant souk or trade and is located on Egypt’s southern border, a strategic location on the ancient trade routes. In the past it was the last “civilized” enclave before caravans in search of noble woods, frankincense, myrrh, exotic animals, and slaves went into black Africa.
Furthermore, Aswan was a rich city because a few kilometers south of it, there are pink granite quarries for the construction of obelisks and also for the extraction of stone blocks for the construction of pyramids, statues and royal giants that were from time immemorial a great source of wealth for this region.

In the 19th century, intellectuals sought inspiration here and writers such as Loti, Saint Exupery or Christie were impressed by its beauty, sharing the ancient city with adventurers and young entrepreneurs who sought the dream of African riches. Today it is a city of more than two hundred thousand inhabitants, and it is the point and end of most of the cruises on the Nile, because the “First Waterfall” marks the natural limit of navigation on the river.

By visiting each of the tourist places in Egypt in general and Aswan in particular, means that you know more about the life of the Pharaohs and the ancient ways of life. This temple
This temple was built by the most famous kings in ancient times, King Ramses II and the real reason behind the construction of this temple is to document the great victory of King Ramses II in the Battle of Kadesh, which was in 1274 BC, it was decided to build this temple to celebrate victory Great.
Then the temple was taken as a house of worship and the temple included many ancient Egyptian gods such as Ptah, Amun, and the god Re Horakhti.
As for the current form of the temple, the great site of Abu Simbel is divided into two main temples. The length of the great temple is 35 and its height is approximately 30 meters.
While the small temple is dedicated to the famous Egyptian queen Nefertari, the favorite wife and close to the heart of King Ramses II and separated between the two temples a distance of about 150 meters and this distance contains four large pillars sitting and those four of both temples and two of these columns Temple of Queen Nefertari and the other two of the Temple of King Ramses II.
On the walls of this large temple, there are inscriptions and images that tell the life of the king and the queen, most notably the pictures showing the king and his wife performing their prayers to the goddess.
Despite the existence of this temple since this time, it was first discovered in 1817 until more and more was discovered until Abu Simbel became the current known temple
The site of this temple is a great archaeological mystery as the perpendicular solar energy over the temple is one of the phenomena of ancient Egypt, which reflects the ingenuity and accuracy of the ancient engineers in the construction of this wonderful temple to correspond to such an important and distinctive astronomical site, where the sun enters into the temple three times The first time is February 22, which was dedicated to the celebration of the planting season, and the second is also on 22, but from October, which was also dedicated to the celebration of the flood at that time. , While the third and last time is By chance correspond to both King Ramses’ birthday and crowned him on the throne.

The temples were moved from their place with UNESCO’s cooperation with the Egyptian government to save the large Abu Simbel complex from drowning or damage that would inevitably have remained in place as a result of the high Nile flowing into the High Dam.
This magnificent temple, which includes art every inch throughout, is a wonderful place that tells a lot and a lot of events and a great history.

This temple is the last of the buildings that were built in the classical Egyptian style and began construction work for this temple almost in 690 BC and the main reason behind the construction is to honor the goddess Isis and was one of the most important sites where the worship of the gods continued to worship the goddess Isis since its construction And until the year 550 or more and this site is characterized by its wonderful location, which is on an island in the middle of the Nile River, which combines important and distinctive and also completely different inscriptions.
The first edifice is fully decorated with inscriptions Ptolemy XII and attacks the enemies in these inscriptions and is about 18 meters, while the other edifice is the temple of Pleasure The king of Hathu, which is decorated with beautiful inscriptions of music as well as an inscription of a monkey playing the oud and Bes and this side there is a wonderful unfinished wing which is located on the edge of the water.
It is said that most of the artists who drew these inscriptions in the temple are from the Victorian era. Furthermore it’s not only about Pharaonic past and all this information and historical events of the temple but also you will enjoy a lot in this tour, this is not only an informative tour, but there is a lot of fun awaits you Some pictures to save this fun time then you can attend a wonderful sound and light show that will make you feel like you are on a journey through time and sit by yourself in front of one of the pharaohs hear from him some stories.

To one of the most exciting places in Aswan, which is located in the northern quarry, which contains the most famous obelisk in Aswan, which is a height of 42 meters and is a huge slab of granite and this obelisk was built with some temples and traces of granite coming from Quarries in the vicinity of Aswan, which is known to be the finest in the country.
As for the obelisk, it would be the longest obelisk in the world if it were completed, as it is ten times the longest obelisk found in Rome to the Lateran obelisk.
Although little is known about the unfinished obelisk, who was commissioned to build it or when it will be transported and where it will be placed, scientists assume that the reason for stopping its construction is due to the instability of its foundation caused by large cracks in the rock.
In addition to its ancient history, but it is a great place to learn about the features of the life of ancient Egypt in Aswan, you can see this obelisk to see the traces of workers and artists of the original and see how brilliant techniques in the art of architecture and construction in the time of the Pharaohs.

Is one of the largest islands in the Nile of Aswan in front of the city and this island is an exciting and wonderful place to learn about the local life and that at a very cheap price only two pounds, With these few pounds you can see a lot and enjoy a beautiful tour that ends by moving to visit the nearby temples surrounding, You can also go to the magnificent temple of Aswan.

If you would like to learn more about the culture of the Nubians, a visit to the Nubian Museum is a good idea. One thousand two hundred exhibits, landscape models, and excavations tell the story of the Nubian people. From the prehistoric past to the present, everything is included.

The Nubian Museum (officially the International Museum of Nubia) is an archaeological museum located in Aswan, Egypt. It was built following the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia. The museum is dedicated to the culture and civilization of Nubia, an ancient kingdom that flourished in southern Egypt and northern Sudan. The museum houses many artifacts, including sculptures, pottery, jewelry, and household objects.

keep exploring more places and more islands If you are a nature lover this island will be an unforgettable visit, where its located directly on the Nile also it so close to the island Elephantine, and that wonderful place called El Nabatat Island or what they call Kitchener.

The island’s history dates back to the British occupation of Egypt, where the second name is the ratio of Lord Kitchener. Until the death of this Lord this island became under the hands of the Egyptian government and has been used as a research area and since this time until now is a wonderful botanical garden.
In addition to the island’s many unique types of plants, but it is very popular among the local people of the city of Aswan, where they spend enjoyable times for walks or hiking in the afternoon often, also will be a fun and beautiful visit for you where you can access it simply by the Aswan Pier Through a boat or a boat passing through the Nile.

Sir William Willcocks, who built the old Aswan Dam, used to live in the Aswan Museum. It was turned into a museum to hold the artifacts on Elephantine Island and the archaeological remains found while the Dam was being built. It has things from Nubia, like statues of Amenhotep III and Ancient Egyptian gods like Khnum, who has the head of a ram, and mummies of rams, which are Khnum’s symbols.

The museum also has funerary paintings, basins made of schist from the Prehistoric period, weapons, and pottery found during excavations in Nubian areas that were in danger of being flooded by the Dam. It honors the culture and history of Nubia, which goes back to when people lived in caves. The museum was one of the 2001 Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners. It was built with local sandstone and pink granite to resemble a traditional Nubian village.

To the most beautiful visit on your trip to Aswan to the delightful Nubian neighborhoods, Nubian villages have a long history, it is known that the population of Nubia is the indigenous population of southern Egypt.
The origins of this nation from the beginning in Sudan and southern Egypt and these tribes continued until now live along the Nile River and the Nubian villages are located approximately 860 km / 350 miles south of the capital – Cairo – known for its different culture in addition to containing Many of the ruins of ancient Egypt and the retention of a lot of Pharaonic life moreover to the preservation of its people on most of their customs and traditions Nubians are characterized by some customs and traditions different from the rest of the city, the most prominent of these differences Which still stick to it is the original Nubian language, which can not be spoken only by the people of this culture and it is difficult for outsiders c to Teach them because they speak only and there is no alphabet or grammar to facilitate the teaching of this language.

Also one of these differences is the folk dance dedicated to the people of Nuba and some different lifestyles and so much that you will not recognize it only by your visit to these wonderful villages.By visiting Nubian villages you go to the most welcoming places and people on your tour to Egypt.
You find everyone reassures you with a welcoming smile and see their beautiful houses, which are different from other houses in Aswan, but traditional for Nubian culture, they were built with simple brick and predominantly painted with colorful colors and geometric shapes and the strangest thing you will see in this tour is the retention of some houses Crocodiles in their homes as if they were pets, this is one of the old habits that were preserved where they used to use these crocodiles as a means to defend themselves and their property against any external dangers, What a wonderful tour where you look at this distinctive culture and you will see a lot and fun where much !!!

The Aswan Dam is located 20 kilometers south of the city and is one of the greatest engineering works of the 20th century. The construction of this enormous 111-meter-high Dam made it possible to control the increasingly constant flooding of the Nile and produce enough electricity for a large part of Egypt.

However, the environmental and cultural costs were also significant, moving entire towns and essential temples such as those of Philae and Abu Simbel. Once the construction was finished, it gave rise to Lake Nasser, the largest artificial lake in the world.

The Tombs of the Nobles, also known as the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis, located on the other side of the Nile, in the Valley of the Princes, is another of the most exciting places to see Aswan.

In this complex carved into the rock of a hill, you can see up to 60 tombs of high officials from the late Pharaonic period (others have not yet been discovered) and mummies preserved almost intact for more than 2,500 years.

A short distance from the Tombs of the Nobles is the Monastery of Saint Simeon, built by Coptic monks in the 6th century to convert the Nubian population to Christianity and offer pilgrims rest, food, and protection.

Made of brick and stone and abandoned since the 13th century, this enormous Monastery comprises a lower terrace where the basilica remains are found. The frescoes on several walls stand out, and an upper deck where the monks’ rooms are located with their respective stone beds.

After visiting the Monastery, you can see the Aga Khan Mausoleum in a few minutes, which houses the tomb of Sultan Mahommed Shah the Aga Khan III, Imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims, which is also another of the places to see in Aswan.

Built with pink limestone, it is one of the most imposing buildings on the west bank of the Nile, with a solid style for the Fatimid tombs of the time. After his death, his wife supervised the construction of the enclosure and buried him two years later in it.

Lake Nasser is a lake made by people in one of the Nile River’s basins. It is in the southern part of the country and goes beyond Sudan’s borders. Only the amount of Lake Nasser in Egypt, about 85% of the whole lake, is called Lake Nasser. The part of the lake that is in Sudan is called Lake Nubia.

It was made after the Aswan Dam was built, which took place between 1958 and 1970. The most critical area, near the Tropic of Cancer, is about 550 kilometers long and 35 kilometers wide. It covers a total area of about 5,250 square kilometers and has a water capacity of 157 square kilometers.

Dakka temple, started by king Ergamenes and completed on 205 b.b. by Ptolemy IV Philopator.
El Dekka was known to the ancient Egyptians as Pselqet and the ancient Greeks as Pselchis. Today, the Temple of Dakka is on a small cliff, the only Nubian temple with a north-facing facade and a north-south orientation that runs parallel to the Nile.

Beit el-Wali was saved from Lake Nasser by a Polish archaeological team, paid for by a joint project between the Oriental Institute of Chicago and the Swiss Institute of Cairo.

The temple was built in the shape of a cross, which was symmetrical. It has a deep hall, a long room with two columns in the middle, and a sanctuary. The temple called a speos, was mainly cut out of the rock around it, except for the front wall of the deep hall, which had a door in the middle.

The reliefs on the deep hall are crucial to history because they show how the Syrians, Libyans, and Ramesses II won against the Nubians. In the scenes of the Nubian campaigns, several of Ramesses II’s sons are seen fighting in the war.

Inside the Wadi es Sebua temple and the sanctuary (sacred room). The paintings explain the social, political and religious life of the ancient egyptians.
Outside the Wadi es Sebua temple, you will enjoy the beautiful Sahara landscape all around.

Qasr Ibrim is 235 km south of Aswan and 60 km north of Abu Simbel. The most important of the three massifs south of the village of Ibrim is the one in the middle. All the reused monuments from the New Empire show that the fort or castle of Qasr Ibrim was built on pharaonic foundations. The temple building at Taharqa and the Stele of Amenhotep I are two of the oldest.

It used to be a city on the Nile, but the Aswan Dam turned it into an island. Now, the tallest part of the temple is the only thing that can be saved. Qasr Ibrim is the only archaeological site in Lower Nubia that has survived the floods of the Nile, and it is an important site for archaeological research.

The Temple of Kalabsha is the largest free-standing temple in Lower Nubia and the most beautiful and well-kept one. It was built during the time of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, who ruled from 30 BC to 14 A.D. This Place of worship was mainly for the Nubian god Mandulis but also for the gods Isis and Osiris, who were Isis’s husbands.

The plan for the temple is regular. A large entrance called a “pylon” leads to an open-air “forecourt” and then to a “hypostyle hall,” which is a room with columns. Beyond that are two cross-shaped chambers used as places to make offerings. The temple of Kalabsha has marks from many different cultures, like the fact that it is dedicated to a god from Nubia and has been written in Meroitic and Greek. The thin columns and wide spaces between them are signs of Greek and Roman influence. Several crosses carved into its walls show that the sanctuary was used as a church when Christianity first came to the area.

The temple of Amada is one of the oldest ancient Egyptian buildings. It was built during the 18th Dynasty (around 1550–1295 BC) of the New Kingdom, and it stands on the shores of Lake Nasser. When the temple was turned into a church, a layer of plaster was put on top of the reliefs and inscriptions to keep them from getting damaged.

Kings from three different eras built this beautiful temple. Thutmose III (around 1479–1425 BC) and his son Amenhotep II (around 1427–1400 BC) made the central part of the temple. Thutmose IV (about 1400–1390 BC) added the beautiful hypostyle hall in front. During the 19th Dynasty, minor changes and additions were made (1295–1186 BC).

Maharraqa (or Maharraka, or Muharraka) is a building made by romans (or, perhaps, just modified by romans) during their Egypt domination.

The magical city of Aswan, there are many activities and Things to Do in Aswan to see, if you have time.
01. Visit Abu Simbel from Aswan with bus or by flight.
02. Visit the temple of Phiala of Goddess Isis.
03. Sail on the on the Nile with Felucca Enjoy the Sunset from Old Cataract Hotel.
04. Visit the Nubian Village or a visit to the Unfinished Obelisk and the Nubian Museum.
05. Nile Cruise tour from Aswan 3 Nights -Aswan- Luxor.
06. Visit the camel market at Darawa.
07. Visit monastery of st stimeon which is one of the best preserved of the original Christian strong hold.
Check our Nile cruise holidays all inclusive.

The warmth of its people, the beauty of its landscapes, and the grandeur of its monuments make holidays in Egypt one of the favorite options for tourists.
Book now your scheduled Egypt holiday deals.