Aswan

For our final morning in Upper Egypt we visited one of the modern experiences in the country - the Aswan Dam.  After visiting the dam itself we toured the Temple of Philae which was one of the temples (like yesterdays Abu Simbel) that was moved when the dam was created in the 1960s.

The High Dam: Bordering Egypt and Sudan, this is the world's largest dam, its construction finished in 1970. It changed the life of Egyptian people by providing flood protection, irrigation, and electricity to Egypt. Construction of the dam required the enormous task of relocating many ancient monuments along the banks of the Nile. A project that was only possible by using very advanced engineering and the cooperation of many Countries.

Granite Quarries with Unfinished Obelisk: Most of the red granite used to build Egypt's Temples and Tombs came from these quarries. Here lies the Unfinished Obelisk still attached to the bedrock. Abandoned when a crack appeared while working on it. Its weight is calculated at 110 tons and would have been the world's largest piece of solid stone ever carved.

Temple of Philae: On the island of Agilkia, lies the beautiful temple of Philae, dating from 380 BC. Erected to honor the goddess Isis, it was moved from its original location in 1960, relocated from the holy island of Philae in the middle of Lake Nasser. Many of the buildings and monuments were painstakingly moved from Philae, as it was continually flooded and eventually submerged in Lake Nasser.

This was our last day in Egypt so we planned to enjoy a final meal back in Cairo overlooking the fabulous pyramids at the historic Mena House Hotel.  Then it is goodbye Egypt, hello Jordan!