Compare the city of Aswan, Egypt, to the city of Cairo and you will be stunned by the difference. While Cairo is an entirely busy and modern metropolis, Aswan is an area that hearkens back to times past.
It is not easy to get lost here as the entire city consists of only three main streets and may be traversed on foot. If small and quaint is more your style, then you will love the city of Aswan.
Many of the tourists who come to Aswan arrive here after taking a river cruise along the Nile. Aswan is Egypt’s southernmost city and all three of its main streets run parallel to the Nile. One of these streets, Shari-as Souq, is well known as the market street. Here you can shop for nearly anything you can think of.
The street’s bazaars are known as the most colorful and beautiful in Egypt. In fact, these souvenir shops are the most popular attraction in the city. If you love to hunt for a bargain, this is the place for you. Bargaining is normal here, and you should be prepared to negotiate a price for the items you wish to buy. Don’t be shy — you can get some terrific deals this way.
Other typical sights among the streets of Aswan are gentlemen sitting outside of coffee shops and smoking sheeshah, which is a water pipe, or what you may also know as a hookah. You’ll be met by shoe shiners, local children, and other souvenir sellers along the streets.
Don’t be surprised if with every few steps you meet a new seller who wishes to show you his shop items. This is a great opportunity for you to purchase locally made gifts and services. However, if you don’t wish to buy anything, just say “la shukran,” which means “no thanks.”
The sheeshah itself is one of the most popular souvenirs that is sold within Aswan. You’ll see them in many shapes, colors, and sizes in several different shops. The real ones, should you wish to actually use one as a water pipe, are made from glass or crystal. The metal ones are simply decorative and can be quite ornate.
Because of Aswan’s lovely riverside location and charming atmosphere, it has been a popular tourist attraction since the 19th century. It is particularly popular in the winter when temperatures are very mild and pleasant. In June, July, and August, temperatures can become quite sweltering. Any season of the year, however, is a good time to take the ferry from or to nearby Elephantine Island.
Elephantine Island is located at the center of the Nile, and its name is somewhat of a mystery as historians believe that there have never been elephants at this location. Over many centuries, a great deal of building has taken place here; however, much of the ancient structures have worn away. Today you can still see some significant structures, such as a granite gateway built by Alexander the Great and columns built by Ramses II.
One of the most remarkable things about Elephantine Island is that it is the site of one of only two Jewish temples known to have existed in ancient Egypt. The Temple of Elephantine dates back to about 500 BCE. In the year 1893 papyrus scrolls written in Aramaic were discovered here.
Studies of these scrolls have revealed the existence of a military colony of Jews here since the sixth century who acted as mercenaries for the Egyptians, and after them to the Persians, by guarding their southern border. These soldiers established a township and built their own temple before the coming of the Persians in 525 BCE, when Cambyses, son of Cyrus II, conquered Egypt.
In 1969 a German archeological team started work on the island to classify and restore the many Egyptian temples, including the largest one that is a temple to the Egyptian God Khnum, which at the time lay completely in ruins. Khnum, the ram-headed god, was worshipped here as he was considered to have control of the Nile.
Since this time the German Archaeological Institute has continued work on Elephantine Island. They have excavated ruins of Jewish houses, as well as what they believe — based on the Aramaic papyrus and the studies of the Hebrew University — are the remains of the ancient Jewish temple. Still today, work continues on excavating the remains of this amazing landmark, one of only two Jewish temples from ancient Egypt.
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