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Aswan · West bank of the Nile, Aswan

The Nubian Villages of Aswan

The Nubian people of the Nile valley south of Aswan, and Gharb Soheil, a Nubian village on the west bank reached by boat.

Gharb SoheilWest bank of the Nile, by boatOld Nubian writing8th to 14th centuryNubian valley floodedBy the High Dam, 1959–70

Written by Mahmoud Barakat · Reviewed by Abdelrahman El Baz

About Nubian Villages in Aswan

The Nubians are the people of the Nile valley south of Aswan, who differ culturally and ethnically from other Egyptians and speak Nubian languages such as Nobiin and Kenzi. Gharb Soheil, the village our tour visits by boat, lies on the Nile's west bank at Aswan.

Their homeland, the Nubian valley between Aswan and the Sudanese border, ran for 160 miles (250 km) before Lake Nasser, the reservoir of the Aswan High Dam, flooded it. Most of its people were resettled in the government-built villages of New Nubia around Kom Ombo, north of Aswan.

A short history

  1. A border landAswan was the border town of ancient Egypt and its base for trade and raids to the south; traders coming from Nubia by the Nile made it the link between Egypt and Africa.
  2. The nameThe Greek geographer Eratosthenes used the name Nubai in the 3rd century BCE for the people of the Nile valley south of Aswan.
  3. Old NubianDocuments in Old Nubian date from the end of the 8th century to the beginning of the 14th century, written in an adaptation of the Coptic alphabet, as modern Nubian still is.
  4. Lake NasserThe Aswan High Dam (1959–70) flooded the valley, and more than 60,000 Nubian Egyptians were resettled in villages and model towns around Kom Ombo, on land reclaimed from the desert.

What you'll see

The river on the way

The river on the way

The way to the village is by motorboat on the Nile, through the islands and granite rocks of the First Cataract, the old boundary between Egypt and Nubia.

Gharb Soheil

Gharb Soheil

A Nubian village on the Nile's west bank, where our tour visits a traditional Nubian home and you meet a local family.

Getting there and how the visit runs

Our Nubian village tour starts from your hotel or Nile cruise in Aswan. A motorboat takes you along the Nile through the islands and the cataract area to Gharb Soheil, where you visit a traditional Nubian home, and the boat brings you back. The motorboat there and back is included.

Before you go

What to wear and bring
  • Modest clothing
  • Comfortable shoes
  • Sun protection and a hat
Photos
  • Ask before photographing people
  • Avoid photographing children
Average daily high in Aswan (°C)
22.9°J
24.8°F
29.4°M
35.2°A
39°M
41.2°J
41.4°J
41.2°A
39.5°S
35.7°O
29°N
24.2°D

The coolest months are December to February.

World Meteorological Organization climate normals (monthly averages, not forecasts)

Questions about Nubian Villages in Aswan

Where are the Nubian villages in Aswan?

Gharb Soheil, the village our tour visits, is on the Nile's west bank at Aswan and is reached by motorboat. Most Nubians from the flooded valley were resettled in New Nubia, around Kom Ombo north of Aswan.

Who are the Nubians?

The people of the Nile valley south of Aswan, who differ culturally and ethnically from other Egyptians and speak Nubian languages such as Nobiin and Kenzi.

Why were the Nubians moved?

Lake Nasser, the reservoir of the Aswan High Dam (1959–70), flooded their valley, and more than 60,000 Nubian Egyptians were resettled around Kom Ombo.

How do you get to the Nubian village?

By motorboat on the Nile from your hotel or cruise in Aswan; on our tour the boat there and back is included.

Where can I learn more about Nubian history in Aswan?

At the Nubian Museum in Aswan, opened in 1997, which shows Nubian history and traditions and has a reconstructed Nubian house in its garden.

Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica; UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; World Meteorological Organization.

Day tours

Tours that stop at Nubian Villages in Aswan

Colourful houses of a Nubian village on the Nile
From Aswan hotels

Nubian village by boat

  • In Aswan
PriceOn request

Guides

Read before you go

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