Egypt

Things to do in Aswan

18 places15 stories2 routes

Sightlore has 18 places to explore in Aswan, and 15 of them come with a 60-second story in 5 languages. Point your camera at a landmark to learn its name and story, and earn points and badges at the places you actually visit.

Aswan's must-sees

The city's most important places. In the app you see how many you've visited and earn a badge when you've seen them all.

  1. 1
    Temple of Isis in Philae

    Temple of Isis in Philae

    The Philae temple complex is an island-based temple complex in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam, downstream of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, Egypt in Africa.

  2. 2
    New Kalabsha

    New Kalabsha

    New Kalabsha is a promontory located near Aswan in Egypt.

  3. 3
    Kitchener's Island

    Kitchener's Island

    El Nabatat Island or Kitchener's Island (جزيرة النباتات Geziret En Nabatat (Plant Island) or the Botanical Island) is a small, oval-shaped island in the Nile at Aswan, Egypt.

  4. 4
    Unfinished obelisk

    Unfinished obelisk

    The unfinished obelisk is the largest known ancient obelisk and is located in the northern region of the stone quarries of ancient Egypt in Aswan, Egypt.

  5. 5
    Aswan Dam

    Aswan Dam

    The Aswan High Dam, often called simply Aswan Dam, was built between 1960 and 1970 across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt.

    Read its story →
  6. 6
    Qubbet el-Hawa

    Qubbet el-Hawa

    Qubbet el-Hawa or "Dome of the Wind" is a site on the western bank of the Nile, opposite Aswan, that serves as the resting place of ancient nobles and priests from the Old and Middle Kingdoms of ancient Egypt.

  7. 7
    Mausoleum of Aga Khan

    Mausoleum of Aga Khan

    The Mausoleum of Aga Khan is the mausoleum of Aga Khan III (Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, who died in 1957).

  8. 8
    International Museum of Nubia

    International Museum of Nubia

    The Nubian Museum (officially the International Museum of Nubia) is an archaeological museum in Aswan, Upper Egypt. It was built in 23 November 1997 following the UNESCO International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia.

  9. 9
    Sehel Island

    Sehel Island

    Sehel Island is located in the Nile, about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Aswan in southern Egypt. It is a large island, and is roughly halfway between the city and the upstream Aswan Low Dam.

  10. 10
    Monastery of Saint Simeon

    Monastery of Saint Simeon

    Ruins of a 6th-century Coptic monastery west of Aswan; it was originally called the Monastery of Anba Hadra.

Discovery routes in Aswan

Visit the stops in any order and tap "Check in" at each one; finish the route to earn points and its own badge.

  • Aswan: the Unfinished Obelisk and the Nile islands

    El-Tabia Mosque, the Unfinished Obelisk and the Nubian Museum; then Elephantine and the Aswan Museum, Kitchener's Island, Qubbet el-Hawa, the Monastery of Saint Simeon and the Mausoleum of Aga Khan.

    By car · 6 h · 10.6 km · 9 stops

  • From Aswan to Abu Simbel: Philae and the High Dam

    From Sehel Island to the Temple of Isis at Philae and Trajan's Kiosk; the Aswan High Dam and New Kalabsha; finally Abu Simbel.

    By car · 10 h · 314.5 km · 6 stops

Places to visit

Historic sites

  • Elephantine

    Elephantine

    Elephantine ( EL-if-an-TY-nee, -⁠TEE-; Ancient Egyptian: 𓍋𓃀𓅱𓃰, romanized: ꜣbw; Egyptian Arabic: جزيرة الفنتين; Greek: Ἐλεφαντίνη Elephantíne; Coptic:ⲓⲏⲃ transl. cop – transl. (e)iēb, Coptic pronunciation: [jæb]) is an island on the Nile, forming part of the city of Aswan…

    Has a story

  • Qubbet el-Hawa

    Qubbet el-Hawa

    Qubbet el-Hawa or "Dome of the Wind" is a site on the western bank of the Nile, opposite Aswan, that serves as the resting place of ancient nobles and priests from the Old and Middle Kingdoms of ancient Egypt.

    Has a story

  • Mausoleum of Aga Khan

    Mausoleum of Aga Khan

    The Mausoleum of Aga Khan is the mausoleum of Aga Khan III (Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, who died in 1957).

    Has a story

  • Temple of Isis in Philae

    Temple of Isis in Philae

    The Philae temple complex is an island-based temple complex in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam, downstream of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, Egypt in Africa.

    Has a story

  • Trajan's Kiosk

    Trajan's Kiosk

    Trajan's Kiosk, also known as Pharaoh's Bed by the locals, is a hypaethral temple currently located on Agilkia Island in southern Egypt.

    Has a story

  • New Kalabsha

    New Kalabsha

    New Kalabsha is a promontory located near Aswan in Egypt.

    Has a story

  • Abu Simbel

    Abu Simbel

    Abu Simbel is a historic site comprising two massive rock-cut temples in the village of Abu Simbel, Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan.

    Has a story

  • Gebel el-Silsila

    Gebel el-Silsila

    Gebel el-Silsila or Gebel Silsileh is 65 km (40 mi) north of Aswan in Upper Egypt, with cliffs on both sides close to the narrowest point along the length of the entire Nile.

  • Temple of Edfu

    Temple of Edfu

    The Temple of Edfu is an Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in Edfu, Upper Egypt.

  • Temple of Kom Ombo

    Temple of Kom Ombo

    The Temple of Kom Ombo is an unusual double temple in the town of Kom Ombo in Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt. It was constructed during the Ptolemaic dynasty, 180–47 BC. Some additions to it were later made during the Roman period.

Museums

  • International Museum of Nubia

    International Museum of Nubia

    The Nubian Museum (officially the International Museum of Nubia) is an archaeological museum in Aswan, Upper Egypt. It was built in 23 November 1997 following the UNESCO International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia.

    Has a story

  • Aswan Museum

    Aswan Museum

    Aswan Museum is a museum in Elephantine, located on the south-eastern side of Aswan, Egypt. It was set up in 1912 by the British Egyptologist Cecil Mallaby Firth.

    Has a story

Places of worship

  • El-Tabia Mosque

    El-Tabia Mosque

    El-Tabia Mosque is a mosque located in Aswan, in the Aswan Governorate, in southern Egypt. Completed in 1974 and surrounded by scenic gardens, the mosque is located amidst a park on a hill in the center of Aswan.

    Has a story

  • Monastery of Saint Simeon

    Monastery of Saint Simeon

    Ruins of a 6th-century Coptic monastery west of Aswan; it was originally called the Monastery of Anba Hadra.

    Has a story

Monuments

  • Unfinished obelisk

    Unfinished obelisk

    The unfinished obelisk is the largest known ancient obelisk and is located in the northern region of the stone quarries of ancient Egypt in Aswan, Egypt.

    Has a story

Nature

  • Kitchener's Island

    Kitchener's Island

    El Nabatat Island or Kitchener's Island (جزيرة النباتات Geziret En Nabatat (Plant Island) or the Botanical Island) is a small, oval-shaped island in the Nile at Aswan, Egypt.

    Has a story

  • Sehel Island

    Sehel Island

    Sehel Island is located in the Nile, about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Aswan in southern Egypt. It is a large island, and is roughly halfway between the city and the upstream Aswan Low Dam.

    Has a story

Other

  • Aswan Dam

    Aswan Dam

    The Aswan High Dam, often called simply Aswan Dam, was built between 1960 and 1970 across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt.

    Has a story

Explore Aswan with your camera

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