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ASWAN:
EGYPT'S BEST KNOWN WINTER RESORT KEEPS THE VISITOR
BUSY
by Habeeb
Salloum
  I
often wondered why the Agha Khan with his wealth
and influence would choose to spend his winters in
Aswan - 900 km (559 mi) south of Cairo. Now, as I
strolled down its wide Corniche admiring the city's
setting - the most charming on the Nile - I began
to understand the allurement of this southern
Egyptian winter resort. Here, the Nile is at its
epitome of charm. Flowing through amber desert
between granite rocks and shimmering-green volcanic
islands, covered with palm groves and tropical
plants, the river scene is truly beguiling.
Embellishing this panorama of colour are the
feluccas with their tall masts and white sails
covering the skyline. It is a breath-taking vista
which, many times, must have thrilled the Agha
Khan.
Of course, the
Agha Khan also came for the city's salubrious and
delightful warm climate which helped ease his
asthma. He once described Aswan as the most
beautiful spot on earth. Today, his mausoleum,
modelled on the Fatimid tombs in Cairo, sits atop a
hill on the west bank, overlooks the
Nile.
During our first
day in this, one of the best known of the world's
resorts, we enjoyed the river's view from the
terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel, a delightful
relic of British colonialism, where Agatha Christie
wrote 'Death on the Nile'. Sipping our tea, we
admired the feluccas gliding on the water around
the foliage-clad rocky islets. It was a captivating
scene, breath-taking in its beauty in the aura of
sunset.
The next day we
drove to the High Dam - an engineering miracle when
it was built during the 1960s. Today, this second
largest dam in the world, along with the old Aswan
dam 6 km (3.6 mi) downstream, provide irrigation
and electricity for the whole of Egypt. Building it
was a tremendous feat of human effort - a structure
of which the pharaohs would have been proud. From
its 3 km (2 mi) long top, we admired its creation,
Lake Nasser - the huge man-made reservoir,
stretching deep into the Sudan.
From this mighty
structure of modern man, we left to view, the
unfinished obelisk - a monument left by the
ancients. Past the Fatimid cemetery, with its
hundreds of mud-brick tombs dating back to the 9th
century A.D., we stopped at a granite quarry. From
such sites around Aswan, much of the granite used
in Ancient Egypt's colossi, obelisks and temples,
were quarried.
We had come to see
a massive obelisk that was never finished due to a
crack found when it was being hewn from the rock.
It is cut and smoothed on three sides - the fourth
is still attached to the quarry bed. The
fascinating feature of this obelisk is that it is a
concrete example of how the Egyptians of antiquity
fashioned their monuments.
Possibly intended
for the Karnak Temple in Luxor, it would have
measured 36.5 m (120 ft) high and weighed 1150
tons, as a free-standing structure. It is almost
impossible to visualise how in ancient times these
huge stone obelisks were dragged to the river, then
floated down the Nile on huge barges.
In the afternoon,
we rented a felucca for a mere five dollars to
explore Aswan's rocky isles. Our first stop was
Agilika Island, home of the reconstructed Philae
Temple. In the wake of the High Dam, the whole
temple was moved by an Italian company from the
submerged Philae Island - 500 m (1,650 ft) away.
Its setting on the island was landscaped to match
the original site.
Dedicated to the
goddess Isis, its various shrines and sanctuaries,
which include a Temple of Hathor, a Birth House and
two pylons, celebrate all the deities involved in
the Isis and Osiris myth. It is a delightful
monument to visit and its outline is a spectacular
sight from the river as the sun begins to disappear
over the horizon.
After sailing
around Elephantine Island containing the remains of
many temples and two tourist infested Nubian
villages, we landed on Kitchener Island. A
showplace of rare and exotic species of trees and
flowers imported from all over the world, it was an
ideal place to spend an hour in the late
afternoon.
As darkness fell,
we along with dozens of other tourist-filled
feluccas, criss-crossed the Nile, enjoying the
cool-relaxing breezes. On the northern hills on the
west bank, we could clearly see the rock-hewn tombs
of princes from the Old Egyptian Kingdom to the
Roman period, illuminated by hidden
spotlights.
Nearby, we could
make out the outline of the Coptic St. Simeon
Monastery, now in ruins. Founded in the 7th
century, it was a base for missionary monks who
converted the Nubians to Christianity.
The Nubians, some
3 million, have had a connection with Egypt since
Pharaonic times. They are duplicated in many tomb
paintings and reliefs - usually as mercenaries or
traders. The Nubians make up half of the population
of Aswan, but are distinct from other Egyptians,
having different architecture, language and
traditions. When the High Dam was built, its waters
swamped most of their land and villages, and the
people were moved to north of Aswan.
At the same time,
due to the dam's rising waters, a number of the 24
temples found in Nubia were moved - the most
notable being the world renowned Abu Simbel, a
landmark in architectural concept. Today one can
take a luxury cruise around Lake Nasser and view
these temples which, because of their
inaccessibility, were rarely visited in the
past.
During our last
day in Aswan, we explored the souks, full of
oriental colour, then strolled the Corniche along
the Nile. The edging mighty river was very
appealing. However, under our feet and on the edges
of the sidewalks, like in most towns and villages
in Egypt, garbage seemed to be everywhere. Seeing
my disgust at the strewn litter, Yvonne, one of our
group who had lived in the country for a few years
remarked, "To enjoy Egypt, you must look above the
refuse and enjoy the abundant scenes and
monuments."
Indeed she had a
point. Aswan, like most tourist sites in Egypt, has
much to offer. It has been a favourite winter
resort since the beginning of the 19th century. For
Europeans and North Americans, it is a perfect
place to get away from it all, especially during
the winter months.
How to Get
There:
The best way to
see Egypt is to take an organized tour from North
America or Europe. There a good number of companies
offering these excursions. No matter what one pays
to take these tours, it will be much less
troublesome and cheaper to join a group before
travelling to that country.
If one does not
join a tour group, Misr Travel in Egypt, 1 Talaat
Harb St., P.O. Box 1000, Cairo, Tel: 20-2-392-3177,
Fax: 20-2-392-4440, e-mail Misrtrav@link.com.eg
will make arrangements for tours to any part of the
country. Also, there are excellent river, air, bus
and rail connections between Cairo and
Luxor.
Facts to Know
About Egypt:
1) Visas are
needed to enter Egypt. Tour companies can easily
obtain them, but they are available at the airports
in Egypt - cost $15.
2) The best place
to exchange foreign currency is in banks. Branches
are found in all major hotels. The U.S. dollar
hovers around 3.80 LE (Egyptian pounds).
3) Despite reports
of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism, Egyptians are
very friendly and hospitable to tourists. The
country is very safe - safer than most countries in
the West. Also, in spite of poverty, crime is
rare.
4) To get around
the cities, taxis are the best bet, but you must
bargain - make sure of the price before you enter
the cab. Small autos rent for around $40. per day,
but renting a car is not recommended. Traffic does
not seem to have any rules.
A Good Places
to Stay in Aswan:
Hotel Sofitel Old
Cataract, an excellent luxury hotel which is
reasonably priced. Abtal El Tahrir St., Aswan,
Egypt. Tel:(+20)97/3l6000. Fax:(+20)97/316011.
Daily cost for a room from a $130. to $160.,
depending on location. Also, hotels in Egypt charge
an extra 26% for taxes and services
charges.
Note: All prices
quoted are in U.S. dollars
For Further
Information Contact:
Egyptian
Tourist Authority, 1253 McGill College Ave.,
Suite 250, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3B 2Y5. Tel:
(514)861-4606. Fax: (514)861-8071.
or
Egyptian
Tourist Authority, 630 Fifth Ave., Suite 1706,
New York, NY 10111, U.S.A.
Web
site: http://www.egypttourism.org
Tel: (212)332-2570
Fax: (212) 956-6439
Habeeb Salloum
58 Langbourne Place,
Don Mills,
Ontario
Canada M3B 1A9
Tel:416/445-4558,
Fax:416/510-2143
E-mail: habeeb.salloum@sympatico.ca
Muguette
Goufrani,
Africa Travel Magazine's Francophone Editor covers
West African destinations and events in detail. Her
native language is French and she has lived in five
West African countries, working for Air Afrique,
Royal Air Maroc and Citroen. As a Travel Agent, she
worked in North Africa, where her family operates
an inbound tour company, and later in Tahiti and
Cambodia. Muguette has been a partner in the
magazine since it was founded in 1995.
E-mail
Muguette
with
your travel experiences in Cote d'Ivoire and other
West African destinations. We welcome your
input.
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