Aswan Attractions

Sights

The UNESCO-sponsored Nubia Museum is regarded as a great success, and most visitors to Aswan feel that an hour or so here is well-spent. The building incorporates features of Nubian architecture and showcases some 5000 artefacts tracing the area’s culture from prehistoric to modern times. The colossal statue of Ramses, the remaining part of a temple at Gerf Hussein, dominates the entrance, a reminder of his positive presence in Nubia. The prehistoric cave depicts the first attempts at rock carvings and the use of tools. The pharaonic period demonstrates the importance of this region to the rulers of Egypt as a gateway to the south. There are sections devoted to Graeco-Roman, Coptic and Islamic influences in Nubia, and of course a section about the UNESCO project to save the monuments threatened by the creation of Lake Nasser. The colourful exhibition of folk heritage emphasizes the individuality of Nubian culture. The most common crafts are pottery and the weaving of baskets and mats from palm fronds.

Note It’s easy to combine a visit to the Unfinished Obelisk with a trip to the High Dam or the Philae Temples .