Private Day Tour High Dam, Philae Temple and unfinished Obelisk

In the morning, your journey in Aswan begins with a pickup from your hotel or cruise by a knowledgeable Egyptologist guide from Five S Travel. You’ll embark on a tour to explore some of Aswan’s most significant ancient sites:

Philae Temple: Dedicated to the goddess Isis, this temple narrates a famous story from Egyptian mythology about Isis bringing her husband back to life, the birth of their son Horus, and the mummification of Osiris. Originally built during Ptolemy II’s reign in Egypt’s Greco-Roman Period, the temple was relocated to Agilika island to save it from flooding caused by the High Dam. Historically, obelisks stood in front of the temple, but these were removed by British Consul Henry Salt in 1918 and are now located in a garden in Dorset, England.

The High Dam: This impressive rock-fill dam, located on the Egypt-Sudan northern border, is an engineering marvel designed to protect Egypt from the annual floods of the Nile. Construction started in 1960 and completed in 1968, with the official inauguration in 1971. The dam is 111 meters high, 3,830 meters long, and has a base width of 980 meters. Its spillway can handle a discharge of 11,000 cubic meters per second.

Unfinished Obelisk: This site showcases a massive, yet incomplete obelisk, which would have been the tallest known if completed. Abandoned due to fractures, it remains attached to bedrock, offering insights into ancient Egyptian stone quarrying techniques. The methods used to transport these heavy stones to locations like Cairo, about 500 miles away, remain a fascinating mystery.

After this insightful tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel or cruise, completing your exploration of Aswan’s ancient wonders.