Elephantine Island. Aswan, Egypt

"Aswan and Elephantine were the twin cities on Egypt's southern border. Elephantine was settled as strategically situated facing alien territory, while on the eastern bank of the Nile, Aswan served the requirements of a trading center. Separating Egypt and Nubia was the First Cataract, mostly inundated today. It was a stretch of river where sharp granite boulders lay strewn along its bed. During the annual flood the river would gather speed and create swirling eddies tat caused serious obstacle to river traffic. As the river passed Elephantine, however, the confining hills drew back, the Nile waters spread into the flood plain, and the velocity diminished." [Kamil Jill, 1993: Aswan and Abu Simbel, History and Guide. The American University in Cairo Press]. 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.