Kalabsha Temple and Nubian Museum TourRescued Temples of Nubia
A boat to the rescued temple of Kalabsha on Lake Nasser, then the story of Nubia at the Nubian Museum.
- Duration
- 5 hours
- Your party
- Private, 2-8 guests
- Starts
- Your hotel in Aswan
The Kalabsha Temple and Nubian Museum Tour tells the story of Nubia, the land south of Aswan that was largely flooded by Lake Nasser.
A short boat ride from the High Dam takes you to the island of New Kalabsha. The Temple of Kalabsha was built in the Roman period, under the emperor Augustus, for the Nubian god Mandulis. In the 1960s it was cut into more than 13,000 blocks and moved here to escape the rising water. On the same island stand the small rock temple of Beit el-Wali, built by Ramesses II, and the Kiosk of Kertassi.
Back in town, the Nubian Museum, an award-winning building of local stone, displays the history and culture of Nubia from prehistory to the villages lost under the lake, with a fine statue of Ramesses II and a garden of carved rock art.
Kalabsha Temple & the Nubian Museum
Your Egyptologist collects you from your hotel and drives you to the harbour near the High Dam. Cross by boat to New Kalabsha to explore the Temple of Kalabsha, the rock temple of Beit el-Wali and the Kiosk of Kertassi. Return to Aswan for a guided visit of the Nubian Museum, its galleries and its garden. You are back at your hotel by early afternoon, with time to rest before sunset on the Nile.
- 1
Temple of Kalabsha
A Roman temple of Mandulis, moved near the High Dam in the 1960s.
- 2
Nubian Museum
The history and culture of Nubia, in an award-winning building.
Included
- Private hotel pickup and return in Aswan
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
- Private English-speaking Egyptologist guide
- Entrance tickets to the sites in the itinerary
- Bottled water on board
- All taxes and service charges
- Boat to New Kalabsha Island
Not included
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses
Before you go
Who built the Kalabsha Temple?
The temple standing today dates from the Roman period, under Augustus, and was dedicated to the Nubian god Mandulis.
Why was Kalabsha moved?
It would have been flooded by Lake Nasser after the High Dam was built, so it was dismantled and rebuilt near the dam in the 1960s.
Is the Kalabsha Temple and Nubian Museum Tour busy?
It is one of the quietest visits in Aswan, as most travellers only see Philae and Abu Simbel.
