My time in Aswan had come to an end, and the road to the North was calling…
Here are a few more photos I took while in Aswan to prove that I did not spend my days snoozing in my hotel room…
The Coptic Monastery of St Simeon...
This Monastery was built in the 7th Century, and was the largest in Egypt, housing thousands of people. It was destroyed by Saladin, in 1173, to prevent it from being used as a refuge by Christians… To get there, you have to cross the Nile and then take a camel through the dunes, approaching the Monastery from the western desert…
The Tombs of the Nobles, across the Nile on the west bank...
These are located directly opposite our hotel, and upstream of Elephantine Island. Nobles of Ancient Aswan were buried here. High on the hill is the mausoleum of the former Governor of Aswan Province. We were on our way to visit the site, but an altercation with yet another money-grabbing Egyptian, who wanted to charge us 5 times the normal price to take us across the river, made us turn back… Marie lost her cool, and accused him of being a cheat and a thief, and to prevent bloodshed, we reluctantly told him where he could shove his motor-boat, and retired to a restaurant nearby to meet Sam and Friede…
Typical Nubian house on the banks of the Nile...
The domed roof of this little house is typical of Nubian Architecture. I took this photo while we were sailing up the Nile on a Felucca…
Captain Gelal's home on Seheyl Island, with his Magic Room built on top of his living quarters...
Probably the most relaxed and enjoyable day we spent in Aswan… Captain Gelal entertained us with his intimate knowledge of the area, having lived there for all of his 52 years…
The Nubian restaurant where we had dinner, as seen from the Felucca the following day...
Archangel Michael's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Aswan...
I regretted not taking the time to visit this beautiful Cathedral… It stands near the Nubian Museum, and is richly decorated with biblical scenes that bring visitors from all over the world to see… It is the second largest church of it’s kind in Egypt.
The massive "Unfinished Obelisk"...
It is difficult to show the full extent of this huge stone… I imagine the stone masons were a little peeved when towards the end of it’s completion, they found a flaw that made it impossible to finish… Nobody can say for sure who it was intended for, or where it was to be placed. Plans to transport this single piece must have had a few guys scratching their heads…
Spice shops abound in the Souk of Aswan... I think the blue stuff is the same that we were fed in the army, to make us forget about our girlfriends...
The barrels in the front of this shop hold dried Hibiscus petals, used to make Karkodeh tea. There are so many of these spice shops, that it is difficult to imagine how they all survive. The aromas from inside them are amazing, and had it not been for the continued pestering, I would have spent more time in them, just getting to know what all the spices are used for… Some of the spices are labeled, and one of them that caught my eye, was used for “tightening of the vaginal muscles”…!! I couldn’t summon up the courage to ask the proprietor exactly how the stuff worked…
It's all been very educational and entertaining...but I better leave Aswan before I am forced to commit some grievious bodily harm...
©GBWT 2010
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