The area of Aswan and its surroundings was the northernmost part of a country known as Nubia or the “Land of Gold” in ancient times.

With the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960’s, monuments and villages in the Nile Valley of Nubia were threatened with submersion under the rising waters of the reservoir (Lake Nasser). To rescue this important and ancient heritage, the Egyptian government appealed to the United Nations Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) seeking help. As a result, an immense international apparatus was formed to excavate and record hundreds of sites.

Due to the importance of the material that was recovered from tombs, temples and settlements, UNESCO planned a museum in Aswan to exhibit the unique Nubian heritage. Besides, many temples such as the ones at Abu Simbel and Philae sites were disassembled and reconstructed on higher grounds.

The Nubia Museum opened its doors in Novembre 1997. The complex, which was designed by the late Egyptian architect Mahmoud al-Hakim, reflects the traditional character of the Nubian architecture and it won the Agha-Khan Award of Architecture in 2001.

The museum has also a beautiful garden with water-falls, palm trees, flowers, and climbing bushes, spread around natural rocks. There is also an amphitheatre for local and international music and dance performances.

The museum is located 400 meters away from the southern end of the corniche, on the left-hand side of an uphill road, close to the Old Cataract Hotel. The Museum opens until late in the evening.

ENTRANCE FEES
(as from 1st. Novembre 2019)
Foreign Adult: LE 140
Foreign Child/Student: LE 70

Opening hours: 7am - 1pm, 4pm - 9pm

HOW TO REACH THERE:

• On foot (15-20 minutes walk from downtown Aswan).
• By horse carriage (5 minutes from the corniche).
• By car (5 minutes from downtown Aswan).