Lake Nasser

Published: August 12, 2026 · Updated: August 12, 2026

Lake Nasser is the reservoir behind the Aswan High Dam, 500 kilometres long and one of the largest artificial lakes in the world. Its water drowned Nubia and, in doing so, forced the rescue of the temples that now stand above it.

Lake Nasser — NASA Johnson Space Center Public domain Source

Overview

The lake filled through the 1970s, displacing around 100,000 people and submerging villages, cemeteries and archaeology that could not be moved. Four temple groups were cut up and relocated to its shores, Abu Simbel among them. The shoreline is desert, largely uninhabited, and holds Nile crocodiles and some of the best Nile perch fishing anywhere.

Highlights

The cruise between Aswan and Abu Simbel is the way to see it: three or four days, calling at Kalabsha, Wadi es-Sebua and Amada, temples that day-trippers never reach. Fishing safaris run from Aswan for perch. The lake is at its best at dawn, when the temples on the shore catch the first light off the water.

Location