Aswan Day 2 - Nubian Museum, Coptic Orthodox Church, Quarry, Spice Market

We have most of the day free on our 2nd day in Aswan City.  We were given a few suggestions, or we can do nothing and hangout at the hotel.

The first place I visited after breakfast was the Nubian Museum.  It's about a 10-minute walk from the hotel.  It's a small museum and contains many artifacts on the history and culture of the Nubian people.  Before coming to Egypt I have never heard of the Nubians.  Without understanding their history one would assume they are black africans like the other parts of Africa.  But their history is close intertwined with Egypt and Sudan, which, by the way, used to be part of Egypt.  The following artifacts are from the Nubian Museum

Across from the hotel is also the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral.  I am not sure which population it serves in Aswan but the church was empty when I visited.

Another interesting point of interest is the nearby quarry, where there is an unfinished granite obelisk.  Three of us took a 10-minute taxi ride, which costs us $45 or about $15 each.  Someone insisted on asking the hotel to arrange a taxi for us, which naturally, will charge you an exorbitant sum.

There were a couple of guides on a hot afternoon at the quarry.  They were happy to give us an unsolicited tour of the quarry and explained the stages and how they were being cut.  Most of us have seen Egyptian obelisks and have never given any thought as to how they were carved and stood upright to be displayed.  The most famous obelisks is the one in the Place de la Concord in Paris.

Obelisk in Paris, by Craig Booth, Leiden, Netherlands

Unfinished granite obelisk

We were given a tour of the rooms occupied by Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill when they separately stayed at the Old Cataract Hotel for an extended period.  They didn't stay in rooms but in suites, sort of like an apartment within the hotel.  Needless to say, they were opulent.

Agatha Christie's room:

Winston Churchill's Room:

That evening we visited the Spice Market in Aswan, followed by dinner at a local restaurant.

Our location in Aswan

Dinner at a local restaurant

Local musicians playing Nubian music

Our stay at the Old Cataract Hotel itself is quite an experience.  There is so much history behind this hotel and the way it was decorated lives up to its reputation.  Here are some pictures of the dining room, which, I think, is called the Pharoah's Room.