Aswan High Dam Egypt

The flooding of the Nile has been a major natural cycle in Egypt since ancient times. Ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile flooded because of the tears of Isis mourning her husband Osiris's Death. The flood of the Nile was later personified as Hapi the god of the flood representing nature’s fertility.

Measuring in at 111 meters high, it is one of the largest in the world. It has a crest length of 3,830 meters and a volume of 44,300,000 cubic meters. The dam was an ambitious project for the Egyptian government. In the 1950s the dam was approved for financial investment from the US and Britain to build the dam, but both nations withdrew their support after learning of a confidential Egyptian arms agreement with the USSR. In response, the Egyptian President nationalized the British and French-owned Suez Canal, intending to use tolls to pay for the High Dam project, leading to a major crisis in Egypt. However, the soviet loans allowed the Egyptian government to pursue their dream of building the Dam.

The main objective of the dam was to stop the flooding and produce about 50% of Egypt’s electricity as some villages did not have access to electricity. Thus, the project was meant to bridge this technology gap. The high dam created a reservoir called Lake Nassir to impound the flood water controlled by the high dam. The lake has helped Egypt to increase its cultivable lands by 30 percent as well as revving up the production of fish farms.  If you visit the dam also you won’t only be witnessing an architectural miracle, you will also be able to enjoy a stunning view of the river Nile and other historical sights of Upper Egypt.