Aswan - Elephantine Island

The verdant island of Elephantine (1,650yd/1,500m long, 550yd/500m wide), with its luxuriant growth of palms, known in Arabic as Geziret Aswan or El-Gesira ("the Island") for short, can be reached by boat (preferably a felucca) in a few minutes. It is one of Aswan's principal tourist attractions, and accordingly is in danger of losing its quiet idyllic charm. On the island are two picturesque Nubian villages, the inhabitants of which still speak Nubian and preserve their national traditions.