The Aswan High Dam is a massive embankment dam across the Nile at Aswan, built between 1960 and 1970 to control the annual Nile flood, generate hydroelectric power for southern Egypt, and create the reservoir now known as Lake Nasser. The dam stands 111 metres tall and 3,830 metres wide and has reshaped Egyptian agriculture, electricity supply, and Nubian geography. Most visitors stop here on a half-day Aswan day tour, typically combined with the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple for a complete picture of Aswan’s stone, water, and power.
The British-built Aswan Low Dam (1902) was the first attempt to control the Nile flood, but by the 1950s it was clearly undersized for Egypt’s growing population. President Gamal Abdel Nasser commissioned a much larger replacement upstream and used the project as a centrepiece of post-revolutionary national modernisation.
The United States and Britain initially offered to finance the High Dam in the early 1950s but withdrew the offer in 1956 over Egypt’s diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and recognition of Communist China. Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal in response, triggering the 1956 Suez Crisis. The Soviet Union stepped in and financed the dam, sending around 25,000 Russian engineers and technicians to help build it alongside 30,000 Egyptian workers.
Construction began in 1960. The dam is an embankment design with a sand-and-clay core, faced with stone and reaching 111 metres above the riverbed. It contains 17 times more material than the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The reservoir behind it, named Lake Nasser, extends 550 km south into Sudan and stores around 132 cubic kilometres of water.
The dam came at significant human and archaeological cost. Around 100,000 Nubians were relocated from the flooded river valley, and dozens of ancient sites including the original Philae Temple, Abu Simbel, and Kalabsha would have been submerged. UNESCO led an international rescue effort from 1960 to 1980 that physically moved or recorded these sites, with Abu Simbel, Philae, and Kalabsha all dismantled and rebuilt on higher ground.
The dam was inaugurated in 1971 by President Sadat. It has since stopped the annual flood, doubled Egypt’s electricity supply for the period after opening, and added roughly 800,000 hectares of irrigated farmland.
The Dam Crest is the 3,830-metre walkway across the top of the dam, with views north over the dam structure to the older Aswan Low Dam and the Nile valley and south across Lake Nasser. Visitors can walk a stretch of the crest and stop at lookouts on either side.
The Egyptian-Soviet Friendship Monument is a 70-metre concrete lotus-flower obelisk built on the western end of the dam in 1971 to commemorate Soviet engineering assistance. Bronze reliefs at the base depict Egyptian and Soviet workers building the dam together, in a style typical of Soviet socialist realism.
The Lake Nasser Lookout on the upstream side gives the best view of the reservoir. On a clear day the lake stretches to the horizon. Small fishing boats and cruise ships are visible on the surface, and the temples of Kalabsha and Beit el-Wali are sometimes just visible to the south on their relocated headland.
The Power Station is mostly off-limits to visitors but can be seen from the eastern lookout. Twelve generators produce around 2,100 megawatts when the lake is at full capacity, supplying around 10 percent of Egypt’s electricity (down from 50 percent at the dam’s opening, as the rest of Egypt’s grid has grown).
The Downstream View shows the controlled Nile flowing northwards through the original riverbed toward Aswan city. Before the dam, the Nile here would have flooded every August to October; now it flows at a steady regulated rate year-round, with implications both positive (year-round irrigation) and negative (loss of silt deposition that once renewed agricultural soils).
Location: 13 km south of Aswan city, at the southern end of the Aswan-Sahara highway. The dam crosses the Nile between the Aswan governorate and the Lake Nasser reservoir.
Opening hours: Approximately 07:00 to 17:00 daily. Last entry around 16:00. Hours can change for security or maintenance — check with your tour operator on the morning of the visit.
Entrance fee (2026, subject to change): Approximately 120 EGP (around $2.50 USD) for foreign-visitor adults, 60 EGP for students with international ID. Sometimes included in the combined Aswan ticket with Philae and the Unfinished Obelisk.
Photography: Permitted at most lookouts but restricted on the dam crest itself for security reasons. Aerial photography (drones) is prohibited.
Time needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour for a careful visit. Most travellers see the dam, the Soviet monument, and the Lake Nasser lookout.
Getting there: Every Aswan day tour and most Aswan-Abu Simbel itineraries include the dam. Private taxis from central Aswan take 25 minutes for around 300 EGP round trip with waiting time.
Accessibility: The dam crest and the upstream lookout are paved and largely accessible. Some side lookouts require short climbs. Toilets and a small café at the visitor centre.
Combine with Philae and the Unfinished Obelisk. All three sites sit within 20 km of each other and make a perfect Aswan half-day. The High Dam first thing at 07:30, then the Unfinished Obelisk 10:00, then Philae after lunch is the classic order.
Bring a hat. There is almost no shade on the dam crest. The afternoon sun reflecting off Lake Nasser raises the apparent temperature by several degrees.
Look for the Beit el-Wali temple in the distance. From the Lake Nasser lookout, the tiny temple of Beit el-Wali (rescued and relocated alongside Kalabsha) is sometimes visible on the western shore.
Skip the souvenir bazaar at the entrance. Standard tourist trap pricing. Buy similar items more cheaply in Aswan’s main souk.
The Aswan High Dam is included in every Aswan itinerary at EDT. The three best options:
Every EDT Aswan tour includes private transport, entrance fees, bottled water, and a licensed Egyptologist guide.
A massive embankment dam across the Nile at Aswan, completed in 1970 to control the annual Nile flood, generate hydroelectric power, and create the Lake Nasser reservoir. It stands 111 metres tall and 3,830 metres wide.
To control the annual Nile flood that alternately flooded too much or too little of Egypt’s farmland, to provide year-round irrigation water, and to generate hydroelectric power for Egypt’s growing population. The project was a centrepiece of President Nasser’s post-1952 national modernisation.
The Soviet Union financed and engineered the project after the United States and Britain withdrew their offer in 1956. Around 25,000 Russian and 30,000 Egyptian workers built the dam between 1960 and 1970.
The reservoir behind the High Dam, named after President Gamal Abdel Nasser. It extends 550 km south into Sudan and stores around 132 cubic kilometres of water. The southern third inside Sudan is called Lake Nubia.
UNESCO led an international campaign from 1960 to 1980 that physically dismantled and relocated the most important threatened sites including Abu Simbel, Philae, and Kalabsha to higher ground above the new lake level.
Yes for travellers interested in modern Egyptian history, engineering, or the Nubian relocation story. The dam is best combined with Philae Temple and the Unfinished Obelisk for a complete Aswan half-day.