Aswan

Aswan is the southernmost city of the Nile Valley before Lake Nasser. Here the river flows between granite islands and golden dunes, and life moves at a slower pace than in Luxor or Cairo. It was the southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt and the gateway to Nubia.

Aswan's pink granite quarries supplied obelisks and statues across the country. In the northern quarry the unfinished obelisk still lies where it cracked during carving, never raised.

Philae Temple, dedicated to Isis, was moved stone by stone to Agilkia Island during the UNESCO international campaign, before the dam waters covered its original site. You reach it by motorboat from the landing stage.

In the late afternoon, a felucca sail around Elephantine Island and Kitchener's Island, with its botanical garden, shows the city from the water. On the west bank you can visit a Nubian village with brightly painted houses and try the local food.

Two days are enough for the city itself. Aswan is also the base for trips to Abu Simbel and for cruises north to Luxor, which stop at Kom Ombo and Edfu.