The Aswan High Dam is the structure that tamed the Nile. Finished in 1970 and opened in 1971, it ended the yearly flood that had shaped Egyptian life for thousands of years, created Lake Nasser, one of the largest artificial lakes in the world, and gave Egypt a large share of its electricity.
Facts
The dam is about 3.8 km long and 111 meters high, a rock and clay embankment far wider at its base than at its top. It was built with Soviet help under President Gamal Abdel Nasser after Western countries withdrew funding, a decision that led to the Suez Crisis of 1956. The lake behind it stretches about 500 km south, into Sudan.
The cost
The dam protected Egypt from floods and droughts and opened new farmland, but it also stopped the fertile silt that once renewed the fields, and it drowned the homeland of the Nubian people, who were moved to new villages. Dozens of ancient temples had to be rescued, including Abu Simbel and Philae, in one of the biggest archaeological rescue efforts in history.
Visiting
Visits are short, about 20 to 30 minutes, with views over the lake on one side and the river on the other, and a lotus-shaped monument to Egyptian and Soviet friendship. The dam is included in almost all our Aswan day tours.
