ASWAN
Where River Tells Secrets to Stone

From the ancient Egyptian Swenet — meaning the opening or the beginning — it stands as Egypt’s southern threshold and vital link to Africa. Since the Old Kingdom — c. 2686 to 2181 BCE — , Aswan flourished as a strategic and commercial center, known for its granite quarries that supplied stone for temples across Egypt. It was also home to the sanctuaries of Elephantine Island, Philae, Kom Ombo, and Edfu, where deities such as Isis, Sobek, and Horus were worshipped for centuries.