Aswan - Mausoleum of the Aga Khan

Commandingly situated on a hill above the villa, with magnificent views, is the Mausoleum of the Aga Khan, built here, in accordance with his wishes, by the Begum, his French born wife and former beauty queen Yvette Labrousse (b. 1906). A stiff climb on a stepped path brings the visitor to a spacious esplanade from which a broad flight of steps leads up to the entrance. The mausoleum is built of ochre colored calcareous sandstone in a severely restrained style; the interior (in which absolute silence must be observed) is finished in light colors, floored with red carpets and immaculately maintained. On the Begum's instructions a fresh red rose is laid on the sarcophagus (of white marble, with Koranic texts carved in relief) every day.