Lake Nassar

I might be able to upload text. Seems like we have a little cellular connection. PIctures are just too slow.

Today is Wednesday here. After a terrifically long day on Monday we reached a lovely old boat that cruises around Lake Nassar.

Yesterday and today we have been going very slowly along a VERY big lake.. stoppping every so often to look at Temples that were rescued by the world when the dam was starting to fill up.

The Big Aswan dam was built in 1956 with funding by the USSSR.. The idea was to make enough electricity to bring Egypt into the Industrial Age.. unfortunately many lovely temples had been built along the Nile…Nassar was wise enough to complete the dam before asking for help…but at least he reached out to the International Community through UNESCO..and they responded. Moving these huge temples up a hill or sometimes locating them together by moving them several miles.

And the Temple of Philae was already have submerged…Tourists would go out in boats and look down on it…

They actually had to build a water tight barrier around it, pump out the water and then remove 4 feet of silt by hand BEFORE dismantling the temple and starting to rebuild it.

The temple of Philae was built around 100BC. By that time Egypt was being ruled by the Greeks…but they wanted the people to see them as part of the Egyptian Royalty so they continued worshipping the Egyptian Gods and suppporting the temples and the priesthood (major power players).

Some of the other temples are 3000 years old…I am so glad they have beeen preserved.

Hope to get you pictures someday!