Aswan

Aswan sits where the Nile narrows between granite boulders near Egypt’s southern border, and the setting alone makes it one of the river’s most memorable stops. The unfinished obelisk still lies in its ancient quarry, a rare glimpse of how the Egyptians worked stone, while the Temple of Philae, moved stone by stone to save it from flooding, sits on its own island reached by boat. Felucca sailing at sunset remains the classic way to see the river, and Aswan’s slower pace makes a good counterpoint to Luxor further downstream.