Aswan, Egypt
Dam in Egypt
The Aswan Low Dam, or Old Aswan Dam, was the first great dam on the Nile, built by the British across the First Cataract between 1899 and 1902. On completion it was the largest masonry dam in the world, about 2.1 km long with 180 sluice gates, all of local Aswan granite. It was designed to store floodwater and release it in the dry season for irrigation, and was raised twice, in 1907 to 1912 and 1929 to 1933. Even that was not enough, which led to the High Dam six kilometres upstream. The idea of damming the Nile near Aswan goes back to the 11th century, when the Fatimid caliph invited the Arab scholar Ibn al-Haytham to study regulating the river. A road now runs along the top linking the east and west banks, so most visitors cross it on the way to Philae, Kalabsha or the High Dam, with a small lake behind it dotted with cataract islands.
No separate visit is needed: ask your driver to cross it slowly on the way to the Philae landing or the High Dam. Photography near the installations can be restricted, so follow the guards' instructions. The best view of the gates and rushing water is from the north side.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
No reviews yet
Share your experience and help other travellers decide.
AttractionAswan, Egypt
