Why visit Aswān
Townapedia lists 85 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 53 places to eat, 73 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include New Kalabsha, Nubian Museum, Saluga and Ghazal islands and Aswan Botanical Garden.
Weather in Aswān
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Aswān
Aswan is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of the Aswan Governorate. The city of Aswan is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities, with its recorded history spanning over 2,600 years.
From the Wikipedia article Aswan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Aswān on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do5
Museums and landmarks85
New Kalabsha
Monument and historic site · 14.8 km
Archaeological site in Egypt
Aswan Museum
Museum · 1.5 km
Museum on the island of Elephantine, Aswan, Egypt
Trajan's Kiosk
Monument and historic site · 7.5 km
Ancient building on Philae, Egypt
unfinished obelisk
Monument and historic site · 1.6 km
Ancient obelisk
Agilkia island
Monument and historic site · 7.5 km
Island in the Nile River, present site of the relocated temple complex of Philae
Famine Stela
Monument and historic site · 4.5 km
Hieroglyphic inscription on Sehel Island in Egypt
Mausoleum of Aga Khan
Monument and historic site · 2.1 km
Mausoleum at the west bank of Aswan, Egypt
Qubbet el-Hawa
Monument and historic site · 1.7 km
Archaeological site in Egypt, with Old and Middle Kingdom Tombs
Temple of Isis in Philae
Monument and historic site · 7.4 km
Temple of Isis in Philae now located on Agilkia island
73 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
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Restaurants and cafes53
Kana Kato Restaurant & cafe
Restaurant · Breakfast, Chicken, Coffee Shop, Fish, Friture, Grill, Pasta · 1.4 km
3VQQ+6HQ، شياخة أولى، قسم أسوان،, Aswan 1, Aswan Governorate
Mo-Su 09:00-23:45
41 more on the map.
History
Aswan is the ancient city of Swenett, later known as Syene, which in antiquity was the frontier town of Ancient Egypt facing the south. Swenett is supposed to have derived its name from an Egyptian goddess with the same name. This goddess later was identified as Eileithyia by the Greeks and Lucina by the Romans during their occupation of Ancient Egypt because of the similar association of their goddesses with childbirth, and of which the import is "the opener". The ancient name of the city also is said to be derived from the Egyptian symbol for "trade", or "market".
Because the Ancient Egyptians oriented themselves toward the origin of the life-giving waters of the Nile in the south, and as Swenett was the southernmost town in the country, Egypt always was conceived to "open" or begin at Swenett. The city stood upon a peninsula on the right (east) bank of the Nile, immediately below (and north of) the first cataract of the flowing waters, which extended to it from Philae. Navigation to the delta was possible from this location without encountering a barrier.
From the History section of Aswan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay73
Churches and places of worship7
Archangel Michael Cathedral for Coptic Orthodox
Church · Coptic Orthodox · 1.3 km
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare27
Map of Aswān
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Aswan International Airport (ASW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 km away.
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Panoramic view of Aswan 2, Egypt, Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0
- Aswan-Eygpt, Khalid ragab, CC BY-SA 4.0
- BeitWaliCourt, Roland Unger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- IlhaElefantina, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- File, Asuán, Egipto, 2022-04-01, DD 142, Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Obelisco inacabado, Asuán, Egipto, 2022-04-01, DD 153, Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
- File, Asuán, Egipto, 2022-04-01, DD 93, Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sehel-steleFamine (cropped), Morburre, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Assuan 9785, Hedwig Storch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- QubbetHawaNorth, Roland Unger, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sehel enscriptions, Unknown author, Public domain
- Philae temple at night, Moh hakem, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saluga and ghazal, 1boosh, CC0
- GD-EG-Musée Nubien001, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Archangel Michael's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Aswan (Egypt), Riccardo Pesce, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Aswan Nile R02, Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0
- By ovedc - Kitchener's Island A 01, Ovedc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aswan Stadium, Aswan, AG, EGY (48026768636), Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States, CC0
- Aswan Botanical Garden 09, Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0
- Aswan Coptic Cathedral R01, Marc Ryckaert ( MJJR ), CC BY 3.0
- Aswan Souq, Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aswan souq in 2017 , photo by Hatem Moushir 29, Hatem Moushir, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aswan souq in 2017 , photo by Hatem Moushir 30, Hatem Moushir, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mosque in Aswan , photo by Hatem moushir 1, Hatem Moushir, CC BY-SA 4.0
- El-Tabia Mosque, Aswan, Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hyphaene thebaica (Aswan) in 2017 , photo by Hatem Moushir 4, Hatem Moushir, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aswan souq in 2017 , photo by Hatem Moushir 28, Hatem Moushir, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mosque in Aswan , photo by Hatem moushir 2, Hatem Moushir, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Assuan el-Tabia 04, Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0
- Assuan el-Tabia 01, Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0
- Assuan el-Tabia 05, Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0
- Assuan el-Tabia 03, Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0
- Assuan el-Tabia 02, Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0
- Ahmed Maher Basha Street - Assouan (EG) - 2025-12-07 - 13, Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Daphne i Assuan 1954-1955 SLSA 1150 1290, Göran Schildt, CC BY 4.0
- Mosque in Aswan , photo by Hatem moushir 3, Hatem Moushir, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aswan souq in 2017 , photo by Hatem Moushir 27, Hatem Moushir, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aswan, souq (6201174667), Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY 2.0
- Ahmed Maher Basha Street - Assouan (EG) - 2025-12-07 - 14, Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Al Matar Street - Assouan (EG) - 2025-12-07 - 1, Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Camels in Nubian Village, Hana Abdulla, CC BY-SA 4.0
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