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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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