3 Best Sights in Aswan and Lake Nasser, Egypt

Though you'll see some of the standard tourist shop offerings, Aswan's market feels more local than others in Egypt. Stretching for several downtown blocks, some pedestrianized, along Sharia el-Souk (Market Street), it's mildly busy by day but absolutely packed come evening. Traders hawk such wares as spices, carpets, clothing, herbal remedies, and fresh fruits and vegetables, and although they are persistent, they are mercifully less aggressive than elsewhere. Restaurants and cafés can be found along the route and the side streets when you need a break.

An effort to preserve the Nubian history that was on the verge of being lost because of the construction of the Aswan High Dam, the Nubia Museum houses more than 2,000 artifacts that highlight the culture and heritage of these people and the land. Arranged chronologically, the museum walks you through prehistory, the Kingdom of Kush when Nubian kings ruled Egypt, and onward through the Christian and Islamic periods.

Artifacts range from larger-than-life statuary to a small game of backgammon. A diorama presents scenes of rural Nubian life, informative if you don't have time to visit one of the villages yourself. Outside, the museum's grounds include a water feature representing the Nile, a reconstruction of a Nubian house, a cave with rock inscriptions, and part of a Fatimid-era cemetery. Allow about two hours to do it all justice.

High-quality granite from Aswan is used in temples, monuments, and obelisks across Egypt, and this failed extraction was instrumental in figuring out exactly how the ancients cut such huge pieces of stone from the quarry. The stonemasons discovered a flaw in this massive obelisk-to-be, and it was left imprisoned in the bedrock. Had it been raised, it would have stood 42 meters (138 feet) tall—larger than any other obelisk—and weighed 1,168 tons. 

This site is often included on Aswan tour group itineraries, but unless you're particularly interested in ancient stonework, save your precious vacation time for more interesting sites.