El-Bahariya is an oasis in the western Egyptian desert.

Africa

Egypt

Bahariya

 The White Desert: an unusual desert with its colours going from white to cream.

Desert Blanc

Aswan is considered to be the gateway to Egypt.

Aswān

Cairo

Elephantine is one of the  Nile Valley  islands near the city of Aswan.

Elephantine

Europe

Central America

North America

South America

Asia

Middle East

Oceania

The island of E lephantine is the site of the old Abu (literally "elephant" and "ivory" in ancient Egyptian). Elephantine occupied a strategic position in the ivory trade during the 1st dynasty (about 3 000 B.C.): it was at once an economic epicentre and a customs house, which houses remnants of an ancient fortress in the south of the island.
E lephantine is a fascinating place containing Nubian villages of Siou and Koti in the centre of the island: I liked walking in their gardens and narrow streets which are dotted with trees. I suggest stop at Animalia: an unusual museum, which boasts a rich collection of photographs of Nubia, traditional Nubian handicrafts. The remnants of the original city of Abu extend more to the south of the island. I recommend the temple of Khnum, the largest monument on site and former centre for worship to the Khnum cult, a divinity with a ram's head. Continue your excursion to the small step pyramid, the Ptolemaic chapel, then to the sacred rams' necropolis, which is supposed to incarnate Khnum.
Other unusual places: the nilometres of the temples of Khnum and Satet. A nilometre measures water levels in the Nile, indispensable information for harvests. Khnum has a pool linked to a stone staircase; in Satet, the nooks in the walls indicate where the oil lamps would light the way.

Elephantine is one of the <a href="/egypt/"> Nile Valley </a> islands near the city of Aswan.

Elephantine Vacations

Elephantine: How to get there?

Elephantine: When to go?

Elephantine: For how long?

Elephantine: What to see in the surroundings?