Exploring the prettiest ancient city

ASWAN truly took my breath away. e view from my hotel balcony will probably always be my favourite. It was so picture-perfect Egyptian that it is difficult to imagine better.

e city is in the south of Egypt, ironically called Upper Egypt, on the Nile. It marks the border of the ancient region of Nubia, which stretches south from here to Khartoum in Sudan. Being within Nubia, an inter-country region, Aswan is very different from other cities in Egypt, and it has the added bonus of being located alongside an incredibly beautiful part of the Nile. It overlooks small granite islands, feluccas sailing by with their triangular sails, and an array of ships stopping in Aswan (as the city’s dams ensure there is no further travel up the Nile). It is a bustling city with 1.5 million residents, but it is serene at the same time, offering pretty much everything you could possibly want from Egypt — and then some.

Aswan has its own international airport, so you can easily fly in from the international airport in Cairo; but by far the best way to arrive is by boat, preferably on a Nile cruise ship coming down from Luxor. Being a popular tourist spot, the city offers an array of hotels and places to stay, but it retains its old-world charm. Normal life continues one street down from the riverside promenade that bustles with visitors and offers you everything from “real” antiquities to felucca rides.

Stay at the Old Cataract Hotel

I might as well start with my favorite part, and that was the stay in a historic hotel with simply the best views of Aswan. e Old Cataract Hotel, officially known as the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan Hotel, has a pedigree that is hard to beat. Not only is the hotel itself gorgeous and the views simply without match, but it has also played host to royalty from around the globe and to people such as Agatha Christie, who arrived in Aswan on the same ship as I did, the SS Sudan. I am not exaggerating when I say that I could have stayed on my balcony drinking in the view of the cataract, the rocky shallows that give the hotel its name, forever.

Walk along the corniche

e Corniche is the promenade along the Nile. It is only steps away from the Old Cataract Hotel and offers a great opportunity to stroll for a mile or two watching the boats, enjoying the sunset, and picking up some street food. You do get approached by vendors and guides trying to sell you tours and felucca rides, but they do not hassle you too much and will take no for an answer. Don’t get overwhelmed by the urge to flee the solicitors enjoy the lovely walk all the way to the Government Park. e best way back is then to move inward a few blocks and walk back through the Aswan Souk, which stretches parallel to the Corniche.

Explore The Aswan Souk

Known locally as Sharia as-Souq, the old bazaar is a bustling part of town where you can buy pretty much anything you could possibly need, from freshly cooked warm dishes to sweet honey snacks, from stationary to tissues, cloth and clothes, souvenirs, toys, and car parts.

ere are also traditional Nubian outfits, Sudanese trinkets and jewelry, as well as fresh produce, nuts, spices, and perfumes.

is is Aswan’s answer to a big mall, and it’s such fun to explore. Overall the people are really welcoming and interested in you, but do make sure that you hang onto your valuables, as it gets crowded and all you need is one pickpocket to ruin your entire vacation.

Take A Boat Ride

Aswan is a bustling city full of people and flush with cars. ere will be a time when you need to escape, and when that happens, just hop onto a felucca. ese small, traditional sailboats are the perfect calming antidote to the onslaught of Egyptian city life. With the recognisable triangular sails and no engine, the felucca’s captain will take you along the Nile, dipping in and out of the various small islands and pointing out sights along the way, such as the Aga Khan’s Tomb. If you time it right and opt for a sailing trip late afternoon, you can enjoy “golden hour,” which brings out the best of the stunning land- and riverscape, and you will be able to watch the sunset (usually between 5.30 and 6 p.m.) from the boat. It does not get much better than that.

Have a peek at The Two Dams

Ever since ancient times, the Egyptian people have depended on the Nile for their existence. e Nile’s waters have long been harnessed all through the valley for agricultural purposes and the basic maintenance of life.

e problem with the Nile has always been the annual flood. e summer rains in the highlands of Ethiopia cause the Nile’s tributaries to swell and raise the downstream waters to unmanageable and unpredictable levels. So in 1902, the first dam at Aswan was completed. Simply called the Aswan Dam, it was one of the largest structures in the world at the time, but it still struggled to keep up. In 1960, the construction of the Aswan High Dam began, creating Lake Nasser.

Being one of the world’s largest artificial lakes, this resulted in the temples of Philae and Abu Simbel having to be relocated, stone by numbered stone. While the dams are not that impressive when compared to the other wonders of Egypt, they nevertheless played a huge role in Aswan’s history and a substantial part in creating its serene beauty.

See Philae

e Philae Temple was one of the casualties of the first dam. Located on an island within the expanse of water between the old and newer dams, the temple originally sat some 1,600 feet away. But some time after the second dam was built, the temple was moved, bit by bit, to Agilkia Island. A fascinating undertaking, and very worth it. e temple, in Nubia just south of Aswan, offers superb views of the colorful Nubian houses, the various islands, and across the water. It is reached by boat. e temple and its island are overrun with friendly temple cats, all revered and pampered by the staff.

keep everybody safe, even if nothing happens. — Travel Awaits.

Lemmin-Woolfrey is a travel writer and guidebook author for the last 20 years. Having lived in seven countries (Germany, UK, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Australia, currently France) to date and traveled to more than 90, she specializes in writing about travel, art and architecture, expat living, and life & style.