Aga Khan Mausoleum

Aga Khan III, the Ismaili leader, wintered in Aswan for the dry desert air and asked to be buried there, and after his death in 1957 his wife had this mausoleum built on the hill above their villa, in pink Aswan granite and limestone to a design based on Fatimid tombs in Cairo, with a domed chamber and a plain, severe exterior. His widow lived at the villa below for decades and had a red rose placed on the tomb daily, a habit that continued after her own death. Aga Khan IV, who died in 2025, was laid to rest here as well. The interior has been closed to visitors since 1997, so it is seen from the river or from the bank below, where it stands on its ridge above the sand with the Nile in front, and it is one of the defining shapes of the Aswan skyline.

What's there

• A Fatimid-style domed tomb - pink granite and limestone on the ridge.
• The hillside position - the mausoleum above the desert with the Nile below.
• The villa below - the winter house the family used.
• The Aswan skyline - the building as part of the standard river view.

When to go

October to April. Late afternoon, when the granite takes the light and feluccas pass in front of it. One hour, generally as part of a river sail rather than a separate trip.

Things to know

The interior has been closed to the public for many years and there is no sign of that changing, so this is a building to look at, not to enter. Boatmen sometimes imply otherwise when selling a trip. There is nothing to do on the bank below.

Nearby

The botanical garden is across the water; St Simeon's Monastery is inland behind.

Key facts