Aswan - Nilometer 
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The description of the Nilometer by the Greek geographer Strabo (ca. 63 B.C.-A.D. 20) is still accurate:
"The Nilometer is a well built of regular hewn stone on the bank of the Nile, in which is recorded the rise of the stream: not only the highest and the lowest rises but also those in between, for the water in the well rises and falls with the stream.
"The Nilometer is a well built of regular hewn stone on the bank of the Nile, in which is recorded the rise of the stream: not only the highest and the lowest rises but also those in between, for the water in the well rises and falls with the stream.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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Near the primitive landing stage on the east side of the island, facing Aswan, is a flight of steps leading to the Nilometer, of which Strabo gives a precise description. After more than 1,000 years of neglect it was restored to use by Mahmud Bey in 1870 during the reign of Viceroy Ismail, as is recorded in French and Arabic inscriptions; since the construction of the High Dam, however, it no longer functions. The scales date from the Late Empire, the heights (in cubits) being given in both Greek and demotic characters. The new scale is inscribed on marble tablets.
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