Aswan
The southern city of Aswan boasts a beautiful setting on the banks of the Nile and has long attracted visitors for its excellent winter weather. It is positioned at a point, known as the First Cataract, where huge rock formations jut out of the river making a collection of islands, which create dramatic narrows. Of the islands, a couple stand out for visitors - Elephantine Island holds the remains of ancient Yebu whilst Kitchener’s Island houses the botanical garden created by the general himself.
Aswan is probably most famous for its dams. The original was built at the head of the Cataract by the British in 1902 and was considered to be an incredible feat of engineering. The more modern High Dam was completed in 1972 eight miles south of Aswan and beyond it, Lake Nasser stretches for 500 miles into Sudan.
