Gebel el-Silsila

At Gebel el-Silsila the Nile narrows between sandstone cliffs, and those cliffs were the main source of building stone for the great temples of the New Kingdom and later, so the quarries here are on an enormous scale, with vertical worked faces, half-cut blocks and the marks of the extraction still legible everywhere. Because quarrying was a state operation with religious dimensions, the site is also full of monuments: the Speos of Horemheb, a rock-cut chapel on the west bank, a row of small shrines along the river, large commemorative stelae of Ramesside kings, and hundreds of inscriptions left by quarry officials. Swedish excavations have been working here for years. Access is easiest by boat, which is also the best way to see the shrines along the water.

Highlights

• Vertical quarry faces - the extraction that built Karnak and Luxor.
• The Speos of Horemheb - a rock-cut chapel above the west bank.
• Riverside shrines - a line of small cut chapels along the water.
• Ramesside stelae - large commemorative panels in the cliff.

When to go

October to April. Two to three hours. Boat access from Aswan or on a dahabiya itinerary is the pleasant way; by road it requires a ferry and some organisation. Morning light on the west bank cliffs.

Practical notes

Access is awkward without a boat and few tours include it. The site is spread along both banks. There is no shade and the sandstone reflects heat. Some monuments are fenced during excavation seasons. Signage is minimal.

Nearby

Kom Ombo is south; Edfu lies north on the same stretch of river.

Key facts