Guide to Aswan its Meaning, History, Monuments, and Sightseeing

The meaning of Aswan
Anciently Aswan was called Swani or Swanet, it means marketplace. The Greeks later called the area Serene, no other word describes this town so completely. For thousands of years Aswan had been a flourishing trading center. As a frontier station linking Egypt with Nubian and thus the richest of Africa. Aswan was a major terminal for trade and military expeditions. It was the capital of the first Nome (province) and it was the southern gate and therefore had great strategic and economic importance. Its rulers protected the city from marauding tribes and foreign rulers who eyed its wealth.

Aswan as a winter resort
Aswan has been a favorite winter resort since the beginning of the nineteenth century, and it's still a perfect place to get away from it all. Every night Nubian dancers and musicians appear on stage in the Cultural Center, just off the corniche. Folklore troupes recreate scenes from village life and perform the famous Nubian mock stick-fight dances. The city itself lies on the east bank of the Nile. Relax here, visit a few mosques, but then prepare yourself for an adventure. The bazaar runs along the Corniche, which continues past the Ferial Gardens and the Nubian Museum and continues on to the Cemetery, with its forest of cupolas surmounted tombs from the Fatimidian period. Just east of the cemetery in the famous area of quarries is the gigantic Unfinished Obelisk.

Pharaoh's Tombs in Aswan
The 12th Dynasty tombs of Sarenput I (#36) and Sarenput II (#31) have the finest art, and it is said that some work in the tomb number 31 rivals that of Memphis. The Tombs are numbered and among other's they include: Sarenput I (#36), Pepynakht (Hekayib) (#35), Harkhuf, Khunes, Sarenput II (#31), Sibni (#25), Mekhu (#26), Qubbet Al_Hawwa (Kubbet el Hawa). At night they are illuminated with hidden spotlights and can be clearly seen from Aswan.Three hundred and twenty kilometers from Aswan in Nubian is to be found Abu Simbel temple - the most beautiful and imaginative construction of the greatest and most whimsical pharaoh in Egyptian history. This temple is dedicated in theory to Amon Ra , Harmakis and Ptah but in practice it was constructed for the greatest glory of its builder, Ramses the second.

The great temples of Abu Simble
To the pharaoh's architects the temple represented a tremendous challenge which two thousand years later was to be taken up again by the engineers of the world community in order to save it from the waters of the Nile . In this lonely place lost in the middle of the Nubian desert the temple, which is 38 meters wide by 65 meters long, had been carved out of a single piece of rock. The unusual facade was carved by a multitude of workmen whose swords had led them to prison .It is amazing now to make a tour to visit this temple and it will be unforgettable memories if you are able to watch sound and light show there.

Agha Khan Mausoleum
This is the Mausoleum of the spiritual leader of the Ismailis, a Shiite sect (as were the Fatimids) based principally in India but with followers around the world. It is a very elegant pink granite structure of late 1950 origin, which also resembles the Fatimidian tombs in Cairo. Members of this sect consider themselves to be the direct spiritual descendants of the Fatimids. The Mausoleum has an excellent view, including Aga Khan's white villa below and is situated near the Monastery of St. Simeons on the west bank of Aswan.

The Aga Khan was extremely wealthy. On his birthday in 1945, he was weighed in diamonds which then he distributed to his followers. It should be noted, also, that he was a big man. Every day that his widow was at the villa, she placed a Red Rose on his white carrara marble tomb. His widow, Omme Habibeh, popularly referred to as "The Begum" died on July 1st, 2000. The other months, a gardener fills this function, and it has been rumored that at one point, not a single rose could be found in Egypt, so for almost a week, roses were flown in from Paris by private jet. Mohammed Shah Aga Khan was educated in Europe and succeeded his father in 1885 to become the 48th imam. He was succeeded by his grandson, Karim Aga Khan upon his death in 1957.

The Unfinished Obelisk
The most of the red granite used for ancient temples and colossal statues came from quarries in the Aswan area. There are many inscriptions around these quarries, some of them describe successful quarrying projects. But there is one project was unsuccessful. It is the Unfinished obelisk. This Unfinished Obelisk is located in the Northern Quarry still lies where a crack was discovered as it was being hewn from the rock. Possibly intended as a companion to the Lateran Obelisk, originally at Karnack but now in Rome, it would have weighed over 2.3 million pounds and would have been the worlds largest piece of stone ever handled. However, a crack in the stone occurred, which caused it to be abandoned. Tools left by its builders have given us much insight into how such work was performed. The site has recently been renovated and equipped with tourist facilities. Nearby is the Fatimidian Cemetery.

The meaning of Aswan Anciently Aswan was called Swani or Swanet, it means marketplace. The Greeks later called the area Serene, no other word describes this town so completely. For thousands of years Aswan had been a flourishing trading center. As a frontier station linking Egypt with Nubian and thus the richest of Africa. Aswan was a major terminal for trade and military expeditions. It was the capital of the first Nome (province) and it was the southern gate and therefore had great strategic and economic importance. Its rulers protected the city from marauding tribes and foreign rulers who eyed its wealth.

In Aswan the Nile is at its most beauty, flowing through amber desert and granite rocks, round emerald islands covered with palm groves and tropical plants. Its Market now full of scents and colors of spices, perfumes, scarves and baskets. You should view the spectacular sunsets while having tea on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel (Named due to the location of the 1st Nile's cataract).

Aswan as a winter resort Aswan has been a favorite winter resort since the beginning of the nineteenth century, and it's still a perfect place to get away from it all. Every night Nubian dancers and musicians appear on stage in the Cultural Center, just off the corniche. Folklore troupes recreate scenes from village life and perform the famous Nubian mock stick-fight dances. The city itself lies on the east bank of the Nile. Relax here, visit a few mosques, but then prepare yourself for an adventure. The bazaar runs along the Corniche, which continues past the Ferial Gardens and the Nubian Museum and continues on to the Cemetery, with its forest of cupolas surmounted tombs from the Fatimidian period. Just east of the cemetery in the famous area of quarries is the gigantic Unfinished Obelisk.

Just to the south of this, two Greco-Roman sarcophagi and an unfinished colossus remains half buried in the sand. The northern hills of the west bank (Qubbet el-Hawwa or Qubbet el-Hawa meaning windy dome) are filled with the rock-hewn tombs of princes from the Old Kingdom to the Roman period. The 6th Dynasty tombs, some of which form linked family complexes, contain important biographical texts. Inside the tombs are decorated with vivid wall paintings showing scenes of everyday life, hieroglyphic biographies and inscriptions telling of the noblemen's journeys into Africa.

Pharaoh's Tombs in Aswan The 12th Dynasty tombs of Sarenput I (#36) and Sarenput II (#31) have the finest art, and it is said that some work in the tomb number 31 rivals that of Memphis. The Tombs are numbered and among other's they include: Sarenput I (#36), Pepynakht (Hekayib) (#35), Harkhuf, Khunes, Sarenput II (#31), Sibni (#25), Mekhu (#26), Qubbet Al_Hawwa (Kubbet el Hawa). At night they are illuminated with hidden spotlights and can be clearly seen from Aswan.Three hundred and twenty kilometers from Aswan in Nubian is to be found Abu Simbel temple - the most beautiful and imaginative construction of the greatest and most whimsical pharaoh in Egyptian history. This temple is dedicated in theory to Amon Ra , Harmakis and Ptah but in practice it was constructed for the greatest glory of its builder, Ramses the second.

The great temples of Abu Simble To the pharaoh's architects the temple represented a tremendous challenge which two thousand years later was to be taken up again by the engineers of the world community in order to save it from the waters of the Nile . In this lonely place lost in the middle of the Nubian desert the temple, which is 38 meters wide by 65 meters long, had been carved out of a single piece of rock. The unusual facade was carved by a multitude of workmen whose swords had led them to prison .It is amazing now to make a tour to visit this temple and it will be unforgettable memories if you are able to watch sound and light show there.

Agha Khan Mausoleum This is the Mausoleum of the spiritual leader of the Ismailis, a Shiite sect (as were the Fatimids) based principally in India but with followers around the world. It is a very elegant pink granite structure of late 1950 origin, which also resembles the Fatimidian tombs in Cairo. Members of this sect consider themselves to be the direct spiritual descendants of the Fatimids. The Mausoleum has an excellent view, including Aga Khan's white villa below and is situated near the Monastery of St. Simeons on the west bank of Aswan.

The Aga Khan was extremely wealthy. On his birthday in 1945, he was weighed in diamonds which then he distributed to his followers. It should be noted, also, that he was a big man. Every day that his widow was at the villa, she placed a Red Rose on his white carrara marble tomb. His widow, Omme Habibeh, popularly referred to as "The Begum" died on July 1st, 2000. The other months, a gardener fills this function, and it has been rumored that at one point, not a single rose could be found in Egypt, so for almost a week, roses were flown in from Paris by private jet. Mohammed Shah Aga Khan was educated in Europe and succeeded his father in 1885 to become the 48th imam. He was succeeded by his grandson, Karim Aga Khan upon his death in 1957.

The Unfinished Obelisk The most of the red granite used for ancient temples and colossal statues came from quarries in the Aswan area. There are many inscriptions around these quarries, some of them describe successful quarrying projects. But there is one project was unsuccessful. It is the Unfinished obelisk. This Unfinished Obelisk is located in the Northern Quarry still lies where a crack was discovered as it was being hewn from the rock. Possibly intended as a companion to the Lateran Obelisk, originally at Karnack but now in Rome, it would have weighed over 2.3 million pounds and would have been the worlds largest piece of stone ever handled. However, a crack in the stone occurred, which caused it to be abandoned. Tools left by its builders have given us much insight into how such work was performed. The site has recently been renovated and equipped with tourist facilities. Nearby is the Fatimidian Cemetery.