Monastery of Saint Simeon
A ruined Coptic monastery of stone and mud brick on the desert ridge of the west bank at Aswan, long abandoned. Its high walls make it look like a fortress, and it is reached on foot or by camel from the river.
- Where
- Aswan, Aswan, Egypt
- Grade
- UNESCO heritage
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 8 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 24.0947, 32.8758
Get the Monastery of Saint Simeon stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Monastery of Saint Simeon. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Aswan volume with your photos and a note.
Near Monastery of Saint Simeon
Mausoleum of Aga Khan 0.8 km
The tomb of Aga Khan III, built in pink granite on the west bank hills above the Nile at Aswan. It was placed in Egypt because this was once the seat of the Fatimids, an Ismaili dynasty, and Aga Khan IV now rests here too.
Kitchener's Island 1.1 km
A small oval island in the Nile at Aswan, less than a kilometre long, once owned by Lord Kitchener. It is now the Aswan Botanical Garden, shaded by palms and trees from around the world, and reached by felucca.
Elephantine Island 1.5 km
An island in the Nile at Aswan, part of the city, with Nubian villages and the ruins of an ancient town. Its Nilometer, steps cut down to the water, was used to measure the river's flood, and the excavations are part of a World Heritage Site.
Nubian Museum 2.2 km
An archaeological museum in Aswan opened in 1997 after the UNESCO campaign to save the monuments of Nubia. It tells the story of the Nubian people and the lands lost under Lake Nasser, with a garden of rocks and water outside.
Unfinished Obelisk 2.8 km
The largest known ancient obelisk, still lying in the granite quarry at Aswan where it was being cut. It was abandoned when the stone cracked, and the marks of the workers' tools show exactly how obelisks were carved out of the bedrock.
Philae Temple 7.7 km
A temple complex of the goddess Isis on an island in the Nile above Aswan, reached by boat. When the dams threatened to drown it, it was taken apart and rebuilt on nearby Agilkia island, where it rises straight from the water.
Aswan High Dam 14 km
One of the world's largest embankment dams, built across the Nile between 1960 and 1970 to control floods, store water for farming and make electricity. It holds back Lake Nasser, and from the top the lake stretches south to the horizon.
Temple of Kalabsha 15 km
A temple to the Nubian god Mandulis that once stood about 50 kilometres south of Aswan. As Lake Nasser rose it was taken apart and rebuilt on a site beside the High Dam, where it stands on the water's edge.
More UNESCO World Heritage sites in Aswan
Questions
Where is Monastery of Saint Simeon?
Monastery of Saint Simeon is in Aswan, Aswan, Egypt. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Mausoleum of Aga Khan (0.8 km), Kitchener's Island (1.1 km), Elephantine Island (1.5 km).
How do I get the Monastery of Saint Simeon stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Monastery of Saint Simeon and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Aswan volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Monastery of Saint Simeon before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Aswan volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
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