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The Nubia Museum, in Aswan, as a matter of fact, is
deemed to be one of the most important Egyptian museums.
A number of factors have combined together, yielding
the magnificence of such museum, as it is the only
unique open museum of its kind. Preparing this museum
lasted for ten years, all dedicated for hard work
to come up with such lovely museum. Let alone, it
stands as a wonderful model of international cultural
cooperation representing in United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Elephantine Island
Today the island is home to The Oberoi Hotel, with
its huge tower marring the Aswan skyline. In the past,
this island was called Yeb (meaning elephant in Nubian),
probably because of the giant gray stone formations
in the water, which resemble a bathing herd of elephants.
Another explanation is that Yeb held a huge ivory
trading market. The Khnum Temple Only the ruins of
this 4th century BC temple remain. It was built by
Nectanebo in honor of the ram-god Khnum. The temple
is usually under restoration, and could be closed
to the public. Right next to it are the remains of
the Temple of Satis, dedicated to Khnum's daughter.
An excavation project is being carried out, by a group
of German archaeologists, on the Khnum temple and
its surroundings. Recently a small Ptolemic Temple
has been found.
Abu Simbel
Not only are the two temples at Abu Simbel among the
most magnificent monuments in the world but their
removal and reconstruction was an historic event in
itself. When the temples (280 km from Aswan) were
threatened by submersion in Lake Nasser, due to the
construction of the High Dam, the Egyptian Government
secured the support of UNESCO and launched a world
wide appeal. During the salvage operation which began
in 1964 and continued until 1968, the two temples
were dismantled and raised over 60 meters up the sandstone
cliff where they had been built more than 3,000 years
before. Here they were reassembled, in the exact same
relationship to each other and the sun, and covered
with an artificial mountain. Most of the joins in
the stone have now been filled by antiquity experts,
but inside the temples it is still possible to see
where the blocks were cut. You can also go inside
the man made dome and see an exhibition of photographs
showing the different stages of the massive removal
project
The Temple of Philae
Philae Temple was dismantled and reassembled (on Agilika
Island about 550 meters from its original home on
Philae Island) in the wake of the High Dam. The temple,
dedicated to the goddess Isis, is in a beautiful setting
which has been landscaped to match its original site.
It's various shrines and sanctuaries, which include
The Vestibule of Nectanebos I which is used as the
entrance to the island, the Temple of the Emperor
Hadrian, a Temple of Hathor, Trajan's Kiosk (Pharaohs
Bed), a birth house and two pylons celebrate all the
deities involved in the Isis and Osiris myth. The
Victorian world fell in love with the romance of the
Temple. But at night you can also visit the Sound
and Light Show, a magical experience as floodlit buildings
are silhouetted against the volcanic rocks and water
surrounding them. So today, Philae is more fun than
ever before.
The Obelisks
In Aswan you can find two unfinished obelisks. One
of which stands next to the Nubian Museum, 1.4 km
from town. This first obelisk marks the beginning
of the northern granite quarries (a major source of
granite) and is around 40 meters high. The other obelisk
stands in the desert, somewhere near the Monastery
of Saint Simeon. Although this latter obelisk is more
finished, it is quite far and harder to find than
the former. Entry to the obelisks is around 10LE (half
for students).
Nubian Museum
The Nubian Museum is the newest museum in Egypt. It
was opened just last year and is the first museum
exposing the rich Nubian culture. The museum features
Nubian artifacts, weapons, pottery, utensils, paintings,
and sculptures. Furthermore, it offers a show of Nubian
dance and music. Opening hours are from 8am to 1pm
and from 4pm to 9pm. If you're interested in knowing
more about this dark ancient culture, do pay this
place a visit.
The Tomb of Agha Khan
The Third Muslim Agha Khan, Mohammed Shah Agha Khan,
who was a great admirer of Aswan, asked in his will
to be buried there. When he died in 1957, his family
built him a domed sandstone tomb on the west bank
of the Nile. The tomb was built in the Islamic style
of Old Cairo and his burial there on February 20th,
1959 was a major international event. The inside is
mostly marble with inscriptions from the Quran. The
tomb is open daily (except Mondays) from 8am to 4pm.
Admission is free, thanks to the wish of Agha Khan's
wife. The tomb is also known as Agha Khan's Mausoleum.
Monastery of St. Simeon
Also known as Deir Saaman, this monastery was founded
in the 7th century, but was destroyed; the present-day
Monastery dates from the 10th century. The building
is consists of two levels and a surrounding 6-meter-
high wall, giving it the look of a military fortress.
A flight of steps from inside the church leads to
the upper floor, which holds the sleeping quarters.
It is one of the best-preserved monasteries in Egypt
and might be worth a visit.
The Temple of Kalabshah
Like Philae, the Temple of Kalabshah was about to
be submerged forever under the rising waters of the
Nile, had it not been moved 40 km north of its original
site. The relocation project was carried out and completed
in 1975. Today the temple stands on the west bank
of Lake Nasser, south of the Aswan High Dam. It was
constructed at around 20 BC during the reign of Emperor
Agustus, and was dedicated to the Nubian god Mandulis,
the equivalent of the Egyptian god Horus. Right next
to Kalabshah are the temples of Kertassi (to the north)
and Beit Al-Wali. The Temple of Kalabshah is open
daily from 8am to 5pm. Admission costs 10LE (half
for students)
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