The
island of Elephantine, located to the north
of the Nile’s First Cataract, is
situated between the modern city of Aswan
on the east and the pharaonic cemetery
of Qubbet el-Hawa to the west. Elephantine
was important throughout Egyptian history
as a religious site, beginning in the Predynastic
period and continuing down through Roman
times. Temples and cemeteries are located
on the southern end of the island, including
a sanctuary of the goddess Satet, who was
patroness of Elephantine. A sanctuary to
the goddess was founded in the 2nd Dynasty,
and the temple here was rebuilt during
the Middle and New Kingdom as well
as in Ptolemaic times. The ruins of a temple
of Khnum, the ram god associated with the
First Cataract of the Nile, are also located
on the island. The main terrace of this
temple dating to the 30th Dynasty still
remains in addition to a monumental gateway.
Together with Anuket, goddess of Sehel
island, these three deities formed the
triad of the Elephantine area.
On
the west side of the island is the
sanctuary
of Heqaib, a 6th Dynasty official,
who was buried in a rock-cut tomb in
Qubbet el-Hawa. He was venerated throughout
the
Middle Kingdom, and his sanctuary is
filled with statuary and stelae as well
as shrines
and offering tables that were dedicated
by both kings and the elite.
On
the east side of the island is the Nilometer,
a
staircase that was used
to measure the
height of the the annual
floo. These measurements were done
in cubits, approximately the length
of the human forearm, with those indicated
on the Nilometer dating to the Roman
period and later.
The
Aswan Museum on Elephantine Island contains
artifacts that were discovered
on the
island, including objects dating
to the Predynastic
period. HOURS OF
OPERATION:
Summer: 7 AM-6 PM (last ticket will be
sold at 5 PM)
Winter: 7 AM-5 PM (last ticket will be sold at 4 PM)
TICKET COST:
Egyptian:
2 LE
Foreign: 25 LE
LOCATION:
Island
in the middle of the Nile, west of the
modern city of Aswan.
DIRECTIONS:
BY
FERRY: A public ferry runs every 30 minutes
from
the Corniche.
BY
BOAT: It is also possible to hire a private
boat, such as a motorboat or felucca,
to take you to the island.
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