City guide · أسوان Aswan
Aswan
Ancient Egypt's southern gateway: Nubia, Philae and Abu Simbel
Aswan was ancient Egypt's frontier city facing south, where the Nile is dotted with granite islands. Sailing a felucca to a Nubian village, taking a boat to the Temple of Philae and then heading south to Abu Simbel is Aswan's classic itinerary.
History
Los orígenes de la ciudad
Aswan, anciently called Swenett and later Syene, was ancient Egypt's frontier town to the south; Elephantine Island in the river has had a town since ancient times. When the Aswan dams were built in the 20th century, Lower Nubia was flooded by Lake Nasser, and UNESCO launched an international campaign that saved monuments including the temples of Philae and Abu Simbel; today's Nubian Museum holds objects rescued in that campaign. Five sites at Aswan are part of the World Heritage Site 'Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae'.
- c. 13th century BCRamesses II carved the temples of Abu Simbel
- c. 3rd century BCThe Temple of Isis at Philae was built in the Ptolemaic era
- 537The Philae temple was ordered closed
- 1960sAn international campaign moved the temples of Abu Simbel and Philae
- 1979The Nubian monuments became World Heritage Sites
Stories
Historias de la ciudad
Historia · Abu Simbel
The small temple for the queen
Ramesses II reigned for 66 years and is one of the most famous pharaohs of ancient Egypt. He had two temples carved into a cliff in Nubia: the Great Temple dedicated to himself, its façade fronted by four seated statues 20 m tall, and the Small Temple dedicated to his queen Nefertari, with small statues of her and their children standing at the feet of the pharaoh's colossi. In the early 19th century the Swiss explorer Burckhardt made Europe aware again of these two temples half-buried in sand.
Historia · Abu Simbel
The temple that was moved in one piece
When the Aswan High Dam was built in the 1960s, Abu Simbel was set to be flooded by Lake Nasser. In an international campaign launched by UNESCO, the temples were cut into more than a thousand blocks and moved to higher ground in 1968: the Great Temple now stands 65 m higher and 208 m further inland than its original site. At sunrise on 22 February 1966 the relocation team confirmed that the sun still reached deep into the temple, lighting the statues of Ramesses, Amun and Ra-Horakhty.
_01.jpg?width=400)
Must see
Lugares imprescindibles
Before you go
Normas que debe conocer en Aswan
Egypt: drink only at licensed venues
- Drink in licensed restaurants, bars or within resorts
- Drinking in the street or other public places
Drinking outside licensed premises is illegal and can lead to arrest.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Egypt travel advice
Egypt: no drones without a permit
- Leave your drone at home
- Bringing in or using a drone without Ministry of Defence permission
Up to 7 years in prison, or a fine of EGP 5,000 to 50,000.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Egypt travel advice
Egypt: ask before photographing people, and don't photograph children
- Ask local people before photographing them
- If in doubt, ask before taking a photo
- Photographing children
- Photographing military installations (including the Suez Canal)
- Taking or sharing photos that could harm the country's image
Tourism ministry rules require written permission to photograph Egyptian citizens, and photographing children is banned; photographing military installations is illegal.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Egypt travel advice
Egypt: dress modestly and avoid public displays of affection
- Dress conservatively in villages, mosques and markets
- Kissing or hugging in public (holding hands is usually fine)
Behaviour accepted in resorts may be seen as offensive elsewhere.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Egypt travel advice