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Philae Temple, High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk - Tour from Aswan

Top Seller Available in English Hotel Pick up included

Activity Schedule

  • When does it run?

    Daily

  • Duration

    4 hours

  • Start time

    08:00am

  • Meeting Point
    Pick up from your hotel. (Please mention your hotel name and address at the time of booking. If you do not have this information now, our customer service executives will get in touch and confirm the details)
  • Ending Point

    Tour returns to the original departure point

Key Highlights

  • The Temple of Isis is one of the greatest temples in Egypt and an archaeological treasure
  • Trip to Aswan High Dam regarded as an engineering miracle
  • See all the highlights of Aswan in one day on this great value sightseeing tour
  • The day starts with a cruise on the Nile to visit the Philae Temple
  • You will also visit the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk
  • Entrance fees to all sites are included
  • Hotel pick up and drop off and round trip transportation is included

Overview

Explore the attractions of Aswan, once the frontier town of southern Egypt, and home to some of the most ancient archaeological treasures of Egypt.

The Philae Temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis and was built by the Ptolemaic dynasty over a period of 300 years. See the Temple of Isis which is built in the same way as the temples of the New Kingdom with huge pylons.

Marvel at the Aswan High Dam, an engineering miracle that provides water and electricity to all of Egypt.

Lastly, visit the Unfinished Obelisk, had construction been completed it would have weighed over 2.3 million pounds and been the worlds largest piece of stone ever handled. However, a crack in the stone occurred, which caused it to be abandoned.

Itinerary

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel in Aswan in an air-conditioned coach. Accompanied by a guide, you will be taken to the Nile for a motor boat ride to the Philae Temple. The temple is dedicated to goddess Isis. It was dismantled and reassembled in a new site on Agilika Island, about 500 metres from the former site of Philae. The ancient Egyptians built a beautiful and magnificent temple on this island devoted to goddess Isis, however, the temple got submerged after the Aswan dam was constructed in 1906. It was not until the 70s that many nations attempted to save the temple.

See the Temple of Isis, one of the greatest temples in Egypt. It is the island’s main temple with huge pylons and beautiful scenes. The temple is built in the same way as the temples of the New Kingdom, it consists of the first pylon, which is a great traditional pylon with two towers, and an open forecourt that leads to the second pylon.

Further on, proceed to Aswan High Dam, an engineering miracle built in the 1960s. A lot of material - 18 times the quantity of what was used in the Great Pyramid of Cheops – was used to construct this. The Dam is 11,811 feet long, 3215 feet thick at the base and 364 feet tall. Today it provides water and electricity to all of Egypt. From the top of the two mile long High Dam you can gaze across Lake Nasser. The lake is approximately 800 kilometres long and was the world's largest artificial lake at the time it was built.

Continue to the Unfinished Obelisk located in the Northern Quarry, it still lies where a crack was discovered as it was being hewn from the rock. The history of the obelisk is as interesting as the sight. It if was taken out from the earth, it would have weighed over 2.3 million pounds and would have been the worlds largest piece of stone ever handled. However, a crack in the stone occurred, and so the project was abandoned.

Also visit the Fatimid Cemetery before ending the day. You will be dropped back to your hotel in Aswan.

Inclusions

  • Hotel pick up and drop off in air-conditioned vehicle
  • Transportation in air-conditioned vehicle
  • English, French, Italian & German speaking guide
  • Entrance fees to the archaeological sites
  • Boat ride on the River Nile

Exclusions

  • Lunch

Additional info

The confirmation voucher includes the local activity operator’s contact details and local telephone numbers at the destination. They will happily answer any logistical questions you may have.

Customer Reviews

  • Amy Roll
    The Highlights of Aswan in an enjoyable tour

    Tour guide, Mary, met me at agreed time. Mary explained all about the places as we went along and answered any questions I had. Seeing the places with a tour guide is much...

    United States 01/26/2012

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