Aswan; Beautiful and historical city of Egypt

 Aswan; Beautiful and historical city of Egypt

(Associate Professor, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt)

Aswan is historically considered one of the most important cities of southern Egypt and its southern gateway. It is the southern gateway to Egypt and is located on the east bank of the Nile at the first falls of the Nile.

Part of it lies in the plains around the Nile and the other on the hills, which represent the edge of the eastern desert plateau. South of it is the First Falls of the Nile which represents the natural boundary between Upper Egypt and 'Nubia'.

It is 879 km from Cairo and is connected to Cairo by railway, desert and agricultural land roads, Nile boats and domestic flights. Since 2005, Aswan has been one of the creative cities registered in the UNESCO list in the field of handicrafts and arts.

In the ancient Egyptian language, the city of Aswan was known as 'Sono', which means market place. While it was a trading area and a stopover for trade caravans, it was also a trading hub for caravans to and from Nubia. During the Ptolemaic period, the Greeks changed the name to 'Sen', then the 'Iqbats' called it 'Swan'. It was also called the land of gold, as it was a great treasury or graveyard for the kings of 'Nubia' who lived there for thousands of years.

And the borders of Aswan stretched from 'Isna' in the east to the borders of 'Sudan' in the south before the migration and its inhabitants were Nubians. After the Islamic conquest of 'Nubia' in the 6th century AD, some Arab tribes started living in it. After the arrival of the Arabs, it was pronounced and named 'Aswan'.

As Aswan represented the southern border of the country, its importance dates back to the Old Kingdom of Egypt. It was also the center of gathering of armies during the reign of the Central Kings, who sought to extend their rule in the south.

Aswan also played an important role in the war against the Hyksos. King Muhammad Ali established the first military school in Egypt in 1837. Aswan flourished during the Islamic era in the 10th century AD, from where ships sailed to the Hejaz, Yemen, and India.

It was also an important cultural center in the 6th and 7th centuries. As in other Egyptian cities, most of the inhabitants of Aswan converted to Islam according to the Sunni school of thought and Sufi practices. A portion of them are from Christians, most of whom are Coptic Orthodox.

Winters in Aswan are short and warm. Winters are very pleasant and pleasant, while summers are long and very hot. In summer the weather is unbearably hot with scorching sun. Aswan's climate is bright and sunny all year round with little seasonal variation and no rain every year.

In fact, Aswan is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Egypt all over the world, which is very suitable for spending winter. There is a mild climate, warm sunshine and tranquility that prevails everywhere, even the boats that float down the Nile in a majestic and beautiful calm.

The city of Aswan and its surroundings are considered a tourist and archaeological area. Where the number of foreign tourists is increasing, especially from Europe and East Asia. Among its major tourist attractions is the 'Old Aswan Dam'.

Its construction began between 1899 and 1906 in Aswan. Its foundation stone was laid by Khedive Abbas Halami II and it was inaugurated during his reign. A road was built on it that connects the east and west banks of the Nile. The dam is 2141 meters long, 9 meters wide and has 180 gates.

It is made of granite stone available in the area. It was the first dam of this size to be built and was the largest dam in the world at that time. The purpose of this dam is to conserve water during floods of the Nile River, with the help of which the required amount of water is withdrawn for irrigation.

Apart from this, the island of 'Hisa' has a prominent status for containing many monuments and pharaonic maps. The island is located east of the city of Aswan near Fela Temple, between the High Dam and the Aswan Reservoir. is one of the oldest Nubian islands. It is named after King Hesse, who was one of the most important kings of the Seventh Dynasty. Due to its prominent location, it was chosen to hold a fair.

In the past, the island was used as a burial ground for the priests who lived in the city. Also for the inhabitants of the island of Fela, as it was a natural quarry for stone and timber, which was carried across the river, to be used in the construction of the pyramids.

The island houses shine because of the bright colors. These are distributed on small mountain rocks with a beautiful harmony, which is difficult to find elsewhere. Brightly colored rock carvings adorn the houses both inside and out, giving it an elegance and sophistication that captivates the hearts of visitors.

Pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic models are found in its architecture in a harmonious style. The houses are surrounded by mountains and rivers, due to which the people of this island enjoy pollution-free and clean air.

It has a disease-free healthy climate, making it a health center for rheumatism and joint pain patients. The island is also famous for making pottery from Nile clay, island handicrafts and Nubian accessories with colored beads, worn by women.

Okra, peas, cow onions, groundnuts and dates are also grown on this island. The islanders are also famous for making boats, which are the only means of transportation to get out of the island, or into the city. Most of the residents of this town are engaged in fishing and renting out boats to foreigners and tourists. Apart from this, some people also do the profession of carpentry.

Among the main tourist attractions of Aswan is the Fela Temple, one of the most famous temples of Pharaonic Egypt. It is located in the middle of the Nile on the island of Fela, which was one of the most important defensive citadels in Egypt, but after the construction of the temple, the Nile was flooded for fear of flooding, like the Temple of Abu Simbel and the Temple of Kalabsha on Agilika Island. But it was removed from its original place.

The Philae Temple was built specifically to worship the goddess Isis in the 3rd century BC, and it is worth noting that this goddess was one of the most important and powerful deities in Egypt, worshiped by the Greeks and Romani used to do both.

There are many temples on the island of Fela, of which perhaps the most important and famous is the temple built by King Thutmose III. Along with the temple which was built by the king 'Nakht Nabaf' and also there are the temples of the Romans. The word Fela has many meanings in different languages.

In ancient Egyptian Coptic language Belak or Belakh means limit or extremity, so named because it was the last border of Egypt in the south, in Greek it means beloved and in Arabic Anas al-Wujud. A large number of Pharaonic statues are found on Fela Island. There is the shrine of Nakhtunbu I, associated with the Tis Dynasty, and Roman and Ptolemaic monuments such as the Temple of Hathor, the Temple of Imhotep and the Chapel of Trajan.

It is important to mention here that when Christianity became the official religion of the country in the fifth century AD, most of the temples of the pharaohs were converted into churches and the island of Fela was the center of one of the 'bishops', which led to Christianity. In the south it spread to Nubia in Egypt and Sudan.