Duration: 3 hours
Categories: Culture & History, Sightseeing, Family Friendly, Special
On the banks of Lake Nasser lies Kalabsha Temple, an often overlooked jewel of Aswan. Your Egyptologist guide is waiting to take you on a private tour to the temple to help you unlock its secrets.
For two years from 1961, Kalabsha Temple was dismantled into 15,000 pieces and moved block by block to its current location on the banks of Lake Nasser. It was just one of 18 temples and monuments moved in order to preserve them from the rising Nile waters created by the construction of Aswan's High Dam. The temple which is dedicated to the Egyptian god Horus and the Nubian god Mandulis, was originally built just after the Ptolemy period, the era after Alexander the Great's death (323BC).
The facade of the temple is undecorated suggesting it was never finish by its original builder, the Roman emperor Octavius Augustus. Despite being unfinished, Kalabsha Temple is considered the most complete, and largest free-standing temple in Nubia. The inner walls feature Egyptian artwork including a carving of St George slaying a dragon and Coptic crosses, showing the influence of Christians who used the temple as a church during the Roman persecution. Another piece of artwork which is a feature of the temple is a carving declaring the prohibition of eating pork which is carved in Meroitic. This language remains a mystery to Egyptologists today, with its origin still unknown.
Your private tour from Aswan includes a qualified Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transportation from your Aswan hotel.
The Nubia Museum is considered to be one of the most important Egyptian museums. Featuring exhibits and artifacts from the surrounding sites such as the High Dam, the museum is a "must-do" for any visitor to Aswan. I...
With artifacts which date back to the predynastic periods, Elephantine Island is one of the most ancient sites in Egypt. Spend a few hours exploring the largest island of the region which has an important role on Egyp...
Take a private tour to see a modern and an ancient engineering marvel in Aswan when you visit the High Dam and Unfinished Obelisk. See two of Egypt's engineering wonders with the incredible Unfinished Obelisk lying ex...
To learn about the Nubians you must spend time with them. This private tour to Soheil Island lets you meet and spend time with Nubian people in their village. Sail to Soheil Island for an insight into the Nubian life...
Join a camel ride to the southern tip of Elephantine Island where you will find St Simeon's Monastery, an ancient, abandoned fortress monastery mostly built during the 7th century and located near Aswan. The monaster...
