Nasser lake - Nassersee

The Lake Nasser (also: Aswan Reservoir, Arabic:بحيرة ناصر‎, Buḥairat Nāṣir, English: Lake Nasser, French: Lac Nasser) located in the south Egypt, in Lower Nubia, South from Aswan. It is an artificially created reservoir that extends to the north of the Sudans enough and here Nubia lake is called. The pharaonic monuments on Lake Nasser belong to the Unesco world heritage site. Since the 1990s it has increasingly come into the focus of those interested in ancient Egypt and enthusiastic anglers.

background

Technical specifications

Has always been Nile the only livelihood Egypt. It is used to irrigate a relatively narrow, approx. 10 km wide strip of banks on both sides of the Nile, which forms the nutritional basis for the entire country. However, the river is capricious, in summer it floods the fertile land so that it cannot be cultivated - instead, it left behind the valuable nutrient-rich mud.

However, the steadily increasing population of Egypt in the 19th and 20th centuries now demanded one Intervention in the course of the river. That is why French engineers built the first dam wall in 1898 - 1902 (السد‎, as-Sadd) about 10 km south of the city Aswan. Despite the two-fold enlargement (1910, 1934) it could not do justice to its tasks. Its gates often had to remain open in the summer months during the flood of the Nile, and floods could not be prevented. The dam is 51 m high and 2 km long, the lake it dammed had a length of up to 300 km and a capacity of 5.4 billion cubic meters.

The increasing population (around 1900 approx. 9 million inhabitants, around 1980 approx. 42 million inhabitants) and the continuing floods were important reasons for a new dam, the Aswan High Dam (السد العلي‎, as-Sadd al-Alī, in German the Hochdamm) and to build it in the years 1960-1971 (inauguration on January 15, 1971). With the regulation of the Nile, the aim was to achieve a gain in agricultural area, to be able to operate agriculture all year round and to be able to supply the country with electrical energy. The cost of the dam (320 million Egyptian pounds) was raised through a Soviet loan after funding from Western banks was withdrawn. The dam was largely built by Soviet engineers and workers.

The high dam, located about 13 km behind the old dam, is 3.6 km long and 121 m high, the lake it dammed is about 500 km long - of which about 310 km is on Egyptian soil -, between 5 and 35 km wide and covered area of ​​5,250 km², its capacity is 165 billion cubic meters. The water level rose by up to 60 m compared to the old dam.

Today there is an argument as to whether the Expectations of the dam could be met. The disadvantages, which arise primarily from the lack of Nile mud, are offset by the need for artificial fertilization, the decline in fish abundance in the Nile and the deprivation of the economic basis for the ceramic and brick industry.

Human and cultural dimensions

Already the Construction of the first dam led to the fact that the island of Philae with its ancient Egyptian temples and churches were flooded for most of the year.

Almost in passing, one reads that the water level of the reservoir has risen by up to 60 m after the completion of the high dam (now 188 m above sea level). But this meant that Loss of around 35 settlements - only the summit of Qaṣr Ibrīm survived as an island in Lake Nasser - and numerous archaeological siteswhich were mostly on the west bank of the Nile or earlier reservoirs. The approximately 150,000 people were in the area Kom Ombo and Aswan relocated, but they could only take the place names and their memories with them.

In 1964, for example, Unesco started the largest Rescue campaign in the history of archeology. Most of the archaeological sites have been scientifically recorded, important monuments have been relocated and transportable testimonies have been brought to museums. But not everything could be saved: The villages with their cemeteries, churches and mosques, all fortresses, smaller rock temples and tombs (such as those of Gerf Husein and Abu Hoda) have perished in the floods of Lake Nasser. And - as macabre as it sounds - the destruction of the settlements and archaeological sites has caught the interest Nubia to be able to focus, which otherwise would hardly have penetrated the general public's point of view: Nubia is one of the best-documented regions today Egypt.

History of Lower Nubia

Today, Lake Nasser covers the old one nubian Cultivated land. The ancient Egyptian border was always in the area of ​​the First Nile Cataract, i.e. in the area of ​​today's Aswan. Strictly speaking, Nubia never belonged to Ancient Egypt, but rather the area of ​​independent Nubian cultures. But it is also the area where both the Egyptian and Nubian cultures meet, ancient Egyptian kings penetrate as far as the fourth cataract of the Nile, but also Nubian kings as far as Egypt.

Early traces of settlement go back to the Paleolithic and Neolithic. About 40,000 people lived here in village communities, there is no state formation like in ancient Egypt. Based on the finds in their cemeteries, one divides their prehistory into two cultural levels: The A group (or A-horizon) lasts roughly from the middle of the fourth century BC to the beginning of the ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom. Its inhabitants live semi-nomadically in makeshift huts or under rock overhangs and lived from hunting and fishing, cattle breeding and wheat and barley cultivation. The subsequent C group (C-horizon) ranged from the middle of the ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom. The people living in hierarchical tribal societies are becoming increasingly sedentary, their economic basis remains. They are under increasing influence from ancient Egypt, they do not find any cultural connection to the Kerma culture of Upper Nubia.

A large one has existed since early dynastic times political and economic interest of ancient Egypt in Nubia. In addition to securing one's own border, one is interested in the undisturbed exploitation of raw materials and the delivery of goods, including minerals and rocks, woods and aromas, animals and animal products as well as workers and soldiers. If initially expeditions for the exchange of goods were carried out for the mutual interest, economic interests have been secured since the Middle Kingdom through the construction of a large-scale fortress network and warfare. The Egyptian influence extends temporarily to the Fourth Nile Cataract east of the Gebel Barkal; The high points of the Egyptian expansion policy lie in the 12th Dynasty and the Ramesside period. The high point of the demonstration of political power is the extensive Ramses ’II building program in Lower Nubia. Lower Nubia is administered by Egyptian officials, the highest official is the so-called Viceroy of Kush.

At about the same time as the fall of the New Kingdom, this is formed almost in a flash Kingdom of Napata (Gebel Barkal) out. The early Kushitic rulers even managed to expand into ancient Egypt, they ruled Egypt for over 60 years (25th Dynasty, 712 - 656 BC). The influence of their successors, the Napatan and Meroitic kings, apart from attacks on Philae and Elephantine, remains limited to Nubia. Campaigns by the rulers of Axum around 300 AD end the history of the Kingdom of Napata.

In the now adjoining X group time the kingdom of Nobatia (Faras) continues, important sites are Ballāna and Qustul near the (present-day) Sudanese-Egyptian border.

Their culture is finally wiped out by Christian immigrants from about 543; the Nubian kings and people are Christianized by Byzantine missionaries. The campaigns of Islamic armies in 641 can be stopped; Christianity remains. Only from the 14th century does it come to gradual Islamization.

Nubia is under in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries Anglo-Egyptian control. Triggered by the Revolution of the Free Officers in 1952, the Sudanese decided in 1954 for their independence, which they were given in 1956. In 1958 the Sudan and Egypt on the demarcation and division of the Nile water reservoir (before the high dam was planned).

Flora and fauna

They extend directly on both sides of Lake Nasser Western or. Arabian desert. There is hardly any vegetation except in the bank and shallow water areas.

The animal world is all the more diverse, especially if its habitat is (partly) Lake Nasser itself. The animal species found here include:

• Arachnids:Yellow Mediterranean Scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus), Yellow Sahara scorpion (also Sahara thick-tailed scorpion, Androctonus australis),
• Giant snakes:Egyptian sand boa (Gongylophis colubrinus loveridgei),
• Reptiles:Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus), Spotted Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus ornatus), Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus),
• Birds: Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus),
• Mammals:Desert fox (Vulpes zerda, earlier Fennecus zerda).

Lake Nasser is home to around 100 species of fish. Among the interesting for anglers Fish species belong to the Nile perch (Lates niloticus), Cichlids (Cichlidae), the African tiger fish (Hydrocynus forskalli) and 18 species of catfish ("catfish").

places

• 24.066732.91671 Aswan. City with approx. 220,000 inhabitants in the northeast of the dam of Lake Nasser, the 23.97132.87891 Aswan High Dam. As a border town of ancient Egypt, it has numerous pharaonic evidence.

Tourist Attractions

• Old dam by 1910.
• Aswan High Dam from 1971. Visiting the dam costs LE 30 for foreigners and students (as of 10/2017).

Other goals

New Calabash

• 23.960832.8678New Kalabsha2 Mandulis Temple of Kalabsha
• Qirtasi kiosk
• Temple of Ramses ’II of Beit el-Wālī

New Subu '

• 22.793132.5453New Subūʿ3 Temple of Ramses ’II and the Speos Amenophis’ III. from Wādi es-Subūʿ
• Thoth temple of ed-dakka (pselkis)
• Temple of el-Maharraqa

New Amada

• 22.731132.2625New Amādā4 Temple of Amada
• Temple of ed-Derr
• Pennut rock tomb

Qasr Ibrim

• 22.649731.9927Qaṣr Ibrīm5 Island in Lake Nasser with numerous monuments.

New Abu Simbel

• 22.336931.6255New Abu Simbel6 Temple of Ramses ’the Great and Temple of Nofretiri

Wādī el-ʿAllāqī

• 22.96632.9416Wādī el-ʿAllāqī7 Desert protection area and biosphere reserve on the east bank of Lake Nasser.

getting there

Car, bus

The two dams can be reached by car or taxi.

An asphalt road connects Aswan With Abu Simbel directly. On the way there is a branch to New Subu ' and New 'Amada. Right now is Abu Simbel not accessible for foreigners by car or taxi. Bus trips in convoys are possible. There is at least one convoy per day, several if necessary. You can find out about the travel times at the tourist police in Aswan.

Whether the other places via this street New Kalabsha, New Subu ' and New 'Amada is not known.

It is conceivable Abu Simbel also with off-road vehicles from ed-Dāchla out through the Western desert to reach.

West of Lake Nasser is the only border crossing between Egypt and Sudan, the border crossing 22.001531.51281 Qustul-ashlessness(22 ° 0 ′ 5 ″ N.31 ° 30 ′ 46 ″ E). A ferry crosses Lake Nasser near Abu Simbel.

flight

Abu Simbel is with scheduled flights the EgyptAir of Cairo (CAI) and Aswan (ASW), Aswan of Cairo (CAI) can be reached.

By boat

The archaeological sites of New Kalabsha, New Subu ', New 'Amada and Abu Simbel by ship as part of a Lake Nasser cruise.

Cruises on Lake Nasser are something exclusive. There are currently seven cruise ships, not more than ten. The ships include the Eugenie (5 stars; Tel .: Cairo 20 (02) 516 9649) and the Kasr Ibrim (5 stars; Tel .: Kairo 20 (02) 516 9649), both in the style of the early 20th century, as well as the Nubian Sea (5 stars; mobile: 20 (0) 122 322 2065), the Prince Abbas (5 stars; Tel .: 20 (097) 231 4660), the Queen of Abu Simbel (5 stars; Tel .: 20 (097) 230 6512), the Tania (5 stars; Tel .: 20 (097) 231 6393) and the Jaz Omar Elkhayam (4 stars).

The cruise from Aswan to Abu-Simbel takes four days, the return trip three days. Most tourists only choose the round trip, while the second route is a flight to / from Abu-Simbel is covered.

mobility

The monuments can be reached on foot via short distances.

activities

Sound and light shows

Sound and light shows are held at the temples of Abu Simbel carried out. The other temples are illuminated for about half an hour after dinner on the cruise ships.

Fishing safaris

The not entirely cheap fishing safaris are offered by various operators:

• African angler (Tel .: 20 (0) 97 230 9748, mobile: (0) 122 749 1892, email: [email protected]). The company founded by Tim Baily is one of the pioneers in fishing safaris on Lake Nasser.

• Lake Nasser Adventure, P.O. Box 237, Aswan, Egypt (Mobile: 20 (0) 122 104 0255, (0) 122 350 3825, Fax: 20 (0) 97 232 3636, Email: [email protected])

• Miskaa, opposite Cataract Hotel, Aswan (Tel: 20 (0) 97 232 8866, Mobile: 20 (0) 122 367 1705, (0) 100 700 9428, Fax: 20 (0) 97 232 8833, Email: [email protected])

• El-Temsah, Ramses Hotel Building, Abtal el Tahrir St, near the train station, approx. 50 m north of the hotel corner, 2nd floor (Tel .: 20 (0) 97 231 5767, Mobile: 20 (0) 122 334 3203, Email: [email protected]), active since 2001. His company sign hangs over the entrance, it is in Arabic, but you can recognize the word "Crocodile". Five different excursions are offered with seven boats: (1) fishing with fishing rod (455 Egyptian pounds (= LE) per person and day; at least four people), (2) fishing with rifle / harpoon (650 LE per person and day without weapon , Hunting only possible from November 15th to March 30th; at least four people), (3) fishing safari from Aswan to Abu Simbel over five nights and six days (310 LE per person and day; at least eight people), (4) cruise (without fishing) with a visit to all temples and the White Valley over four nights and five days (260 LE per person and day; at least ten people) and (5) from September 2006 a one-day trip to the sand island (with relaxation in the hot sand, eating fish, swimming and visiting the Kalabsha temple, 60 LE per person). It is possible to take small bags with you on all excursions. Please submit a copy of your passport around ten days in advance. The manager only speaks Arabic, it is cheap to take a local with you (prices as of 2006).

Original life in Nubian villages

All localities in the area of ​​Lake Nasser have been flooded. The newly created villages for their residents can hardly give an impression of their original flair. You will probably only find people to talk to who tell you about the old days. However, there are still a few small villages in the south of Aswan in the area of ​​the old dam.

kitchen

Hotels and restaurants are only available in Aswan and Abu Simbel.

accommodation

Accommodation is only available in Aswan and Abu Simbel.

climate

The climate is warm and humid, which results from the high temperatures of the adjacent desert areas and the high evaporation rate of Lake Nasser.

Lake Nasser	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean highest air temperature in ° C	26	27	29	33	35	38	40	39	37	36	33	29	O	33.5
Mean lowest air temperature in ° C	17	18	22	27	32	33	33	33	31	29	23	18	O	26.3
Average water temperature in ° C	17	18	20	25	27	28	28	28	26	25	23	20	O	23.8

security

Right now is Abu Simbel not accessible for foreigners by car or taxi. Bus trips in convoys are possible. There is at least one convoy per day, several if necessary. You can find out about the travel times at the tourist police in Aswan.

List of former localities

The following list names the former localities from north to south, most of the localities were on the west bank.

• Schallāl (East bank), cemeteries and the Coptic Church have perished.
• Philae Island (‏فيلة‎, Fīla), Temples are on the island Agilkia rebuilt.
• Biga Island, Christian cemetery.
• El-Hesa Island, Graveyard from Greco-Roman times.

• Dābōd (‏دابود‎, Dābōd, West Bank), Temple of Isis is in a park in the center of Madrid rebuilt; Cemeteries until Christian times.
• Meris Markos (West bank), cemeteries.
• Qertassi, (‏قرطاسي‎, Qirṭāsī, Tzitzis, Westufer), the Qertassi kiosk is in New Kalabsha rebuilt.
• Abū Hōr (Ajūala, east side), the gate of Ajūala was already on the island around 1900 Elephantine brought and rebuilt there.
• Tāfa (Taphis, west bank), North Temple is in the Rijksmuseum of Oudheden in Suffer rebuilt.
• Beit el-Wālī (‏بيت الوالى‎, Bait al-Wālī, West bank), Temple of Ramses ’II. Is in New Calabshah rebuilt.
• Kalabsha (‏كلابشة‎, Kalabsha, West bank), Mandulis Temple is in New Calabshah rebuilt. An earlier temple found in the foundations of the Kalabsha Temple is on the island Elephantine rebuilt, the Ptolemaic gate of the temple is today in Donut Egyptian Museum on display. The residents are north of Kom Ombo been settled.
• Wadi Qitna (West bank), Tumulus graves of the X group.
• Dendur (‏دندور‎, Dandur; Tutzis, West Bank), Temple of Augustus is in the Metropolitan Museum of new York rebuilt.
• Sabagura (East bank), fortified Christian settlement.
• Noise (‏جرف حسين, West bank), parts of the temple in front of the Ptah rock temple have been secured, parts of the temple are in the Nubia Museum of Aswan issued. The residents are north of Kom Ombo been settled.
• Ikkur (West bank), fortress has perished.
• Qūbān (Contra-Pselkis, east bank), fortress and cemeteries have perished.
• Ed-Dakka (‏الدكة‎, ad-Dakka, West bank), Thoth temple is in New Subu ' rebuilt, cemeteries have perished.
• El-Maḥarraqa (‏المحرقة‎, al-Maḥarraqa; Hierasykaminos, west bank), temple is in New Subu ' rebuilt.
• Wadi Allaqi (East bank), cemetery of the X group has perished.
• Ikmindi (West bank), Christian settlement and church have perished.
• Naga esch-Sheima (West bank), churches and Christian cemeteries have perished.
• El-Meḍīq (Naga el-Oqba, east bank), Coptic Church has perished.
• Wadi es-Subūʿ (‏وادي السبوع‎, Wādī as-Subūʿ, West bank), Temple of Ramses ’II. And Speos Amenophis’ III. are in New Subu ' rebuilt, C-group settlement has perished. The residents are north of Kom Ombo been settled.
• Abu Handal (East bank), almost 300 rock inscriptions and around 5000 rock graffiti from the first dynasty to Christian times have perished.
• ʿAmadā (‏عمدا‎, ʿAmadā, West bank), temple is in New 'Amada rebuilt.
• Ed-Derr (‏الدر‎, ad-Durr / ad-Dirr, East bank), Temple of Re-Harachte is in New 'Amada rebuilt; the village with the mosque has perished.
• Sheikh Daūd (West bank), fortress of the Blemmyes has perished.
• Karanog (West bank), cemetery and fortress have perished. Finds are in the Nubia Museum of Aswan issued.
• El-Lesīya (‏الليسية, East bank), rock temple Tuthmosis ’III. is in the Turinese Egyptian Museum rebuilt.
• Qaṣr Ibrīm (‏قصر إبريم‎, Qaṣr Ibrīm, East bank), the rocky hilltop rises up from the floods of Lake Nasser as an island. Some rock grottos are in the Nubia Museum of Aswan rebuilt. Some buildings such as the Christian basilica are still accessible on site.
• ʿAnība (‏عنيبة‎, ʿAnība; Miʿam, west bank), the fortress and cemeteries have perished, the grave of Pennūt is in New 'Amada rebuilt. The inhabitants are solitary of Kom Ombo been settled.
• Toshka (East bank), rock graves and village have perished.
• Armenna (West bank), Christian settlement has perished.
• Er-Ramal (West bank), Christian cemetery and church have perished.
• Tamit (West bank), Christian settlement and churches have perished.
• Kaw (East bank), Christian church has perished.
• Abdallah Nirqi (West bank), Christian church has perished. Frescoes in the Nubia Museum of Aswan.
• Abu Simbel (‏أبو سمبل‎, Abu Simbal, West bank), both temples were moved inland (New Abu Simbel). The inhabitants are southeast of Kom Ombo been settled.
• Abū Hōda (Abahūda, east bank), Speos of the Haremhab with Coptic wall paintings has perished.
• Gebel Adda (East bank), Islamic cemetery and several churches have gone under.
• Ballana (West bank), cemetery of the X group has perished. Grave goods from the tumulus graves are in the Nubia Museum of Aswan and in Egyptian Museum of Cairo issued. The inhabitants are to Neu-Ballāna south of Out of it been relocated.
• Qusṭul (East bank), cemetery of the X group has perished. Grave goods from the tumulus graves are in the Nubia Museum of Aswan and in Egyptian Museum of Cairo issued.

trips

It would be very attractive to see the Egyptian sub-nubia and that Sudanese Upper Nubia to be explored as part of a trip together. This was still possible in the early 1990s. Nowadays it is Egyptian-Sudanese border crossing closed.

The border crossing is only from today Aswan out with an expensive one Ferry connection to Wadi Halfa on the east bank of the Aswan Reservoir in the Sudan possible.

literature

There is a fairly comprehensive guide to the archaeological sites on Lake Nasser:

• Gohary, Jocelyn: Guide to the Nubian Monuments on Lake Nasser. Cairo: The American University at Cairo Press, 1998, ISBN 978-9774244629 (in English).

You can find out more about the relocation of the temples as a result of the construction of the reservoir in:

• Hinkel, Friedrich W.: Extract from Nubia. Berlin: academy, 1978.

Web links

• Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae (Unesco World Heritage, English)