"Aswan" a Aswan Travel Page by JohnniOmani

Carved out of a mountainside and the single most photogenic of all Egypt's monuments, Ramses II's Great Temple of Abu Simbel was one of the monuments moved out of the way of the rising waters of Lake Nasser in the 1960's. The temple was dedicated to the pharaoh himself. Guarding the entrance, the four famous colossal statues of Ramses II sit more than 20 M high, with smaller statues of the pharaoh's mother , Queen Tuya, his wife Nefertari and some of their children. I personally thought that this site was more impressive than anything Ive seen in Egypt. It was a surreal experience and my favorite site in the country. It is worth the 4am police convoy to get there. Amazing.

Aswan was a very nice place to visit and it is probably home to some of the most relaxing Felucca rides on the Nile River. It is a natural staging post if you are going south to see Abu Simbel near the Sudanese Border. The Nubian people give off a vibe that is unique to the area and the Nubian museum is excellent. This area has a vibe different from the North and even Luxor. Over the centuries, Aswan has been a garrison town, the gateway to Africa, a prosperous marketplace at the crossroads of the ancient caravan routes and, more recently a popular winter resort. It is the most attractive of the Nile towns: a drink on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel overlooking the the river, Elephantine Island and the dozens of Felucca sails will impress the any traveller. I enjoyed this place because most travellers zip in out and out to see Abu Simbel and dont linger around making the souqs and waterfront area brilliant in the evening.