Aswan Overview
Aswan is a heavenly gem filled with incredible attractions that tell legendary tales of ancient gods and kings. The goal of this article is to offer every traveler all the information and facts about the mythical city of Aswan. This article was written by a group of very skilled and knowledgeable tour operators, tour guides, historians, and travel consultants who know all the culture, history, allure, and grandeur of Aswan. There are many cities in Egypt, but only the city of Aswan can reflect the great heritage and pure Egyptian culture.
Aswan Facts
Aswan is the main portal to southern Egypt filled with rare and magical archaeological areas like the crocodile island and elephantine island which was a region linking the South and the North in the trade between Ancient Egypt and a number of ancient African civilizations. It acted as the southern frontlines of the country during ancient times and was home to the Nubian culture in Egypt. Aswan has always played a role in the history of Egypt since the date of its creation as it was the main provider of precious building materials like limestone, quartzite, and Granite due to her rich habitat. Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful and important cities in the world because of the various monuments located in her arms that reflect a great deal about pre-historical ancient times. Aswan is known to be a large tourist city with a current population of 1,568,000. The city is on the UNESCO creative cities network in the category of folk art and craft.
Aswan’s Location
Aswan has located in Upper Egypt 220 km (137 mi) south of Luxor and 890 km (553 mi) south of Cairo on the foot of the Nile valley. The climate of the city is hot all year long. It faces the island of Elephantine (modern Aswān Island), on which stand the ruins of the ancient city of Yeb. It is the third biggest city in Cairo and the biggest in Upper Egypt. The Nile River is nearly 650 m (0.40 mi) wide above Aswan. From this frontier town to the northern extremity of Egypt, the river flows for more than 1,200 km (750 mi) without any cataract. The city geographical nature has changed in certain locations because of the construction of Aswan High Dam which led to the near flooding & destruction of many majestic temples like Abu Simbel and Philae Temple in the 60s but thanks to UNESCO the temples were saved and transported to a new location in one of the hardest challenges rescue mission in modern architecture history. Even to our current day, the city is miraculously able to attract people’s attention.
Climate of Aswan
Aswan climate is one of the driest, hottest, and sunniest cities on earth and is usually very humid with an average temperature in the summer from the months of May to September up to 40 C (104 F) while in the winter months from October to march up to is 23 C (73.4 F).
Aswan’s History
During its creation which dates back to more than 4500 years, Aswan was called "Swenett" and later on "Swan" or "Sonu" which means market, the city was located on the main trade road between the southern land and Egypt which was the main supplier of Gold, ivory, and many others. The city also had a very religious connection as they worshipped the deity Khnum (Deity of the source of the Nile) and later on replaced by the deity Isis (deity of protection magic). The city provides many stones for the construction of many megastructures like Obelisks and even pyramids. It was a commercial center for convoys coming from and to Nubia. A center for the military army and played a special role during the war against Hyksos. Many temples were built during the Roman period to admire and honor the Egyptian mythologies and gods such as Philae Temple Philae that derived its name from the Greek word Philo, meaning loving or love as the temple is dedicated to the Goddess Isis the symbol of motherhood and heading.
Aswan Tourist Attractions
Aswan Tourist Attractions are very special, offering a clear vision into the long history, mythological background, and artistic design that the ancient Egyptian expressed during that time. It contains many attractions like the Abu Simbel temple, constructed by Ramses II in 1244 BC to immortalize his legacy and safeguard his victories like the great victory at the Battle of Kadesh in 1224 BC, and show his dedication and devotion to the four gods; Amon, Ptah, Re-Hor-Akhty on 22 of February and October during the sun festival, the Philae temple is also a famous landmark which became the worship house of Isis in 690 BC.
One of the most popular artifacts is the massive Unfinished Obelisk of Hatshepsut and on the coast of the Nile is the temple of Kom Ombo which was built between 332 and 395 BC to worship Sobek the God of the Nile. The temple of Edfu is also able to grab people’s attention as the house of the Sky God Horus and the location where the Battle between Horus and His evil Uncle Set took place.
Aswan also contains many hidden and unique attractions like the Monastery of St.Simeon, Tombs of the Nobles, Aga Khan Mausoleum, Fatimed Cemetery, Kiosk of Qertassi, Temple of Khnum, and many others. Aswān served as a frontier garrison post for the Romans, the Turks, and the British. When Christianity spread all over Egypt in the fifth century, many ancient temples turned into churches for a short period of time then came Islamic innovation and Aswan became a highly important learning center in the sixth and seventh centuries.
Best Aswan Day Tours
All of these historical attractions are a part of Aswan day tours that provide you with the chance to explore what the Nubian city has to offer from the breathtaking temples and tombs to the ancient marvelous artifacts, so visit our Aswan day tours and choose your dream vacation.
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