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Ancient Egypt's wild frontier
Best known as the site of the mighty Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan makes the fitting conclusion to a cruise along the Nile. Claire Callow reports
The southern city of Aswan sits on the east bank of the Nile, looking down to the stark landscape of the Sudanese deserts as the river flows through the Nasser cataract. Today, the traffic of the river fits the weather; sailboats gently skim the blue waters in the midday heat, their sails dotting the scenery like elegant white birds.
Three thousand years ago the city was the hub of industry in ancient Egypt, producing the stone essential for the building of pyramids and directing traffic entering the country. Its souks housed merchants trading ivory and precious woods to Nubia, the scent of spices swirling in the hot air as they settled ancient international relations.
The Eastern Desert and the Sahara pinch the famous river to 3,000 yards wide at the site of the city, drawing the waters of Lake Nasser together to flow without hindrance through Egypt.
Aswan is the smallest of the three main cities of Egypt, its southern position often making it a last and relaxing stop on tour. The blue waters of the Nile are dotted with islands perfect for a relaxing day away, from Kitchener's Island, which houses the botanical gardens, to Elephantine Island, home of several ancient monuments. The local hotel industry has taken advantage of the islander lifestyle, building on many of the other small islands in the river.
Along the waterfront, bars and cafes wait out the heat and light up the nightlife. At dusk, boats flock to the shore like birds home to roost, passengers grabbing a bracing drink or two before wending their way back to their vessels for the long, chilly night.
Such scenes are familiar on this particular section of the river. It was here that travellers gained entry to Egypt's mighty empire, the first city that desert travellers encountered on their way to the sea. Known then as Swenet, the city was a military stronghold and immigration hub. More significantly for modern travellers, it was the site of quarries producing red granite used for Egypt's famous pyramids and monuments.
The quarries are a source of fascination to visitors today. Tucked behind the banks of the river, they reveal the everyday workings of a highly productive stone industry. Artists' sketches, designs and daily memos line the walls – one slab still bears the order for two obelisks given by King Tutmose III, planned for Karnak Temple in 25 BC.
Along one wall of the quarry lies the Unfinished Obelisk, a length of rough-cut stone still lodged in the bedrock. One end reveals the fatal flaw – a crack in the stone – that prevented the obelisk from joining its partner at Karnak. Indentations show the methods ancient craftsmen used in planning and carving it; ochre marks sketching out its dimensions, gently carved holes sitting ready for the wooden wedges that would be soaked in water in order to swell and crack the stone. At almost 138 feet, the obelisk would have been the largest ever recorded, but workmen put down their tools and went home after finding a jagged line running across the monument's base, 3,000 years ago.
The floor of the quarry shows the empty furrows left by seven other obelisks, finished and delivered to Karnak and Luxor. The tool marks in the stone are vital clues to the technologies used by Egyptian craftsmen, long before hard metals were available.
From the quarries, stone was moved up the Nile by feluccas, the local wooden sail boats. Powered only by the water and wind, the boats drew their heavy cargoes up river where they could be converted into the towering monuments that still litter the Egyptian landscape. Today, locals and visitors continue to use feluccas to sail the blue waters of the river, but for more pleasurable purposes.
The pace of life in Aswan is relaxed. Although its significance as a gateway to Egypt has diminished over the centuries, the city continues to attract trade from across deserts and oceans. Europeans have long used the city as an escape – Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile here, on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel. Perhaps it is the timeless quality that draws travellers here.
Enclosed in the sandy red arms of the desert, nourished by the blue waters of the river, Aswan is no longer a busy hub. It is time to rest.
