Sehel Island: Best Nile view in Egypt

CAIRO - 17 January 2018: Sehel Island offers a magical view of the Nile. In Aswan, it just takes minutes from the Corniche via motorboat to reach to the small granitic island stranded in the rapids of the Nile.

Sehel Island is located four kilometers south of Aswan up the Nile. The island used to be the first natural defense against Nile floods; it was described as the Sacred Island as it was a place of refuge for many pilgrims travelling along the river.


Inscriptions on a rock on Sehel Island, Aswan, November 2, 2006 - Wikimedia
The prosperity of this island was due to its connection with the goddess Anubis, who was worshipped during the 12th Dynasty under the reign of Amenemhet II; she was considered to be a personification of the Nile and the waters of inundation.

The island is home to a great number of carved inscriptions that have been attributed to Ancient Egyptian travelers, soldiers, and traders who left carvings that tell about their appeals for help or prayers of gratitude during their travels.


The Famine-stela on the Sehel Island, Aswan, February 1, 2006 – Wikimedia / Marc
On the summit of the hill stands the most well-known of rock inscriptions; carved into a large granite boulder and telling the story of the Third Dynasty; it is quite a sight to behold. The island was a main extraction point for Aswan granite that was used to build the Giza Pyramids.

Sehel Island is worthy of a day out, it is calm, relaxing and cultural. Sit and watch the Nile flow by while you drink tea or draw henna.