Aswan, a city on the Nile River, has been southern Egypt’s strategic and commercial gateway since antiquity. It contains significant archaeological sites like the Philae temple complex, on Agilkia Island near the landmark Aswan Dam. Philae’s ruins include the columned Temple of Isis, dating to the 4th century B.C. Downriver, Elephantine Island holds the Temple of Khnum, from the Third Dynasty
Aswan was also known as the Land of Gold, given its treasured history as a cemetery for the Nubian kings who had presided over the city over thousands of years. Aswan has remarkable heritage in crafts and folk arts, creative exchange, arts education, and civil engagement.
