The Nile Meeting the Sky in Aswan

The City which Calculated the Earth’s Circumference and Supplied Stones for the Construction of Pyramids:

Aswan, Egypt

We reached Aswan from Cairo at midmorning. Aswan has a significant, ancient history related to the Greek astronomer, geographer, mathematician, poet and music theorist: Eratosthenes. He is chiefly famous for being the first person to calculate the circumference of the earth. His book, ‘On the measure of the Earth’ which describes the method to calculate the earth’s circumference has been lost. So another Greek astronomer , Cleomedes popularized this method by taking two Egyptian cities as reference points: Alexandria and Syene which is modern Aswan.

Sycamore Trees Bordering the Roads of Aswan

As we proceeded to our hotel, what struck me in Aswan were the very tall sycamore trees bordering the road. They reached about 20 m in height. Their branches spread horizontally over a large diameter, but they did not encroach upon each other’s territory because the trees were well spaced. Sycamore is a sacred tree in Egypt since ancient times. The Pharaohs planted four varieties of trees: sant trees, lotus fruits, willow and sycamore trees. The dark-green sycamore tree is not only beautiful  but also provides ample shade. Aswan is one of the hottest, driest and sunniest cities in the world. The Pharaohs might have encouraged its cultivation, especially on roadsides because it looked the ultimate in aesthetics  and utility.

Helnan Hotel

Soon we reached our hotel in Aswan, Helnan Hotel ,situated at Nile Corniche. It is an excellent hotel both for its services and location. Corniche means, ‘a road cut into the edge of a cliff, especially one running along a coast.’ The location of Helnan Hotel is just that.  It is situated along the coastal road on the great river Nile. Just cross the road from the hotel and the turquoise-blue Nile flows by. From my room’s balcony I not only had an  excellent and close-up view of the Nile but also the cliffs at a distance.

The Coastal Road along Helnan Hotel

Another View of the Corniche

 Aswan has another ancient, historical significance. It is located in the ‘heart of what was the ancient frontier of Pharaonic Egypt.’ It is here that the stone quarries of ancient Egypt were located, famous for the granite rock, syenite. This rock was used throughout Egypt for the construction of colossal statues, obelisks and especially the Pyramids. Traces of these quarries, which are 3000 years old, are still visible by the roadside and on the cliffs. The stone quarries, looking like huge bee hives, were lit up at night for the benefit of sightseers and it was a splendid experience to watch them from the balcony of Helnan Hotel.

The Corniche, the Nile and the Cliffs

 

The Ancient Stone Quarries on the Cliffs

 

The Cliffs Bordering the Nile

The Lit-up Quarries at Dusk

The Corniche, The Nile and the Cliffs at Night

Photographs: Bulbul Sur.

Tags : Aswan, Sycamore, Helnan Hotel, Ancient stone quarries, Eratosthenes and the Earth's Circumference .