The granite quarries. Aswan, Egypt

"The famous granite quarries lie in the hills to the south of Aswan. They were the main source of granite in Egypt, exploited from earliest time right through to the Greco-Roman Period. The 'unfinished obelisk' still lies in the northern quarry. It represents an ancient project that failed. Its importance lies in the fact that it has enabled scholars to study, and consequently understand, the various stages of quarrying that went into the production of granite obelisks and other large monuments in ancient times." [Kamil Jill, 1993: Aswan and Abu Simbel, History and Guide. The American University in Cairo Press]. During his trip to Egypt, Elisofon visited Aswan, noted for ruins of temple by Ptolemy Euergetes & for Aswan High Dam. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was working on "The Nile" project and traveled to Africa from March 14, 1961 to March 31, 1961, visiting Egypt.