Elephantine Island

Discover one of the most attractive places is Elephantine Island with White Bird Travel, Elephantine Island is considered the largest island in Aswan, it may have received its name after its shape in the aerial views which is similar to the elephant tusk.

At the beginning of the first dynasty around 3000 BC, a fortress was built on the island to establish Egypt's southern border, the first line of defense in Upper Egypt. Elephantine Island has become a customs point and important trading hub, and has also been strategically important throughout the Pharaonic era as a starting point for military and commercial missions to Nubia and the South.

This island includes the relics of the ancient Egyptians due to its location at the first Cataract of the Nile, which represents a natural boundary between Egypt and Nubia, and is the main place of the god Khnum the god of Nile Inundation.

In ancient times, the island was an important quarry providing granite materials that would be widely transported within Egypt for antiquities and buildings.

Although many of its monuments have been destroyed, the island is known for its beauty, as there are still many artifacts to see. 

There is also a rare calendar, known as the Elephantine Calendar, dating back to the reign of Thutmusis III, which was found in parts, as well as the ruins of the Satet Temple, Khoum’s wife, and the guard of the southern border.

The main attraction of the island is the Nilometer, which is one of the oldest Nilometer, and was used to measure the water level in the Nile River.

 
There have been ongoing excavations in the town for many years by the German Archaeological Institute, and several other artifacts, including a mummified ram from predynastic monuments, have been found and transferred to Aswan Museum.

According to the historical site, nowadays the island become part of the modern Egyptian city of Aswan