Necropolis of Qubbet el Hawa
Right in front of our guesthouse Bet el Kerem, Spanish archaeologists dug up various mummies and a wooden sarcophagus at the necropolis of Qubbet el Hawa in Aswan. The sarcophagus probably contains the body of an authoritative person from around 1830 BC.
In November 2013 four mummies and other archaeological articrafts dating back to the Roman and Greek eras where found near the Agha Khan Masoleum. The other articrafts are two wooden coffins, a wooden pot and two stones with Pharaonic inscriptions on them and also dating back to the same period.
At the end of 2013, four mummies and other objects from the Roman and Greek times were found near the Agha Khan Masoleum.
The other objects are two wooden coffins, a wooden pot and two stones with pharaonic inscriptions that also date from the same period.
May 2014 nine mummies were discovered in an intact funeral chamber in the tomb of governor Haqaib III, dating back to the Middle Kingdom (2050-1750 BC). In the same tomb a chamberwas found with sarcophagi containing nine mummies of the Late Period of Ancient Egypt (724-343 BC); of eight humans and a crocodile.
Western Nile River and the islands
It is worth not only to visit the city, but also to explore the area by boat, enjoy the beautiful nature and experience the atmosphere in the Nubian villages.
There are Nubian villages on the islands, Elephantine, Sehel and on the West Bank, from Gharb-Sehel at the dam to the more northern area, where our guesthouse is located.
Moreover, this is an archaeologically rich area, where new discoveries are still being made!
Recent archaeological finds
Various tombs were discovered by villagers in 2013. The tombs appear to date from the time of the Egyptian New Empire, between the 16th and 11th centuries BC.
The walls contain beautifully preserved scenes that tell about the life of the nobility at that time and their relations with Africa. The graves, which are located 5 minutes walk from our guesthouse, are considered to be one of the most important for understanding the relationship between Egypt and the relations with the south, both in terms of trade contacts and politics.
Some of the tombs on the West Nile River in Aswan have already been discovered, but there are also many hidden under the sand.
Rock drawings Hamdulab
Recently, rock drawings from 3,200 BC were found near the Nubian village of Hamdulab. This is the first image of a king with the white crown of southern Egypt. This is of great historical importance, because there are few relics from the period between prehistory and the beginning of the Egyptian royal system. Egypt is the first national state and this is the first image of an Egyptian king with crown. There is also a royal festival with a procession of five boats. More information
Gebel el Silsila
Gebel el-Silsila is an archaeological site 65 km north of Aswan, where the cliffs on both sides close to the narrowest point along the length of the entire Nile. It was used as a major quarry site on both sides of the Nile from at least the 18th Dynasty to Greco-Roman times. Silsila is famous for its New Kingdom stelai and cenotaphs.
A team from the Swedish university of Lund carrying out archaeological works. They started the Gebel el Silsila Project in 2012. Follow their proceedings here
