Sehel Island

Why visit Sehel Island?

For the Famine Stela, the dense clusters of hieroglyphic graffiti on its boulders and a calm Nubian village, all in the most dramatic part of the cataract. In antiquity every expedition heading south into Nubia had to negotiate the rapids here, and officials marked their passage by carving their names, titles and prayers into the rocks. The island was the cult centre of Anuket, the goddess who, with Khnum and Satet, presided over the cataract and the flood.

Sehel sees a fraction of the visitors who go to Philae or Gharb Soheil, so it suits travellers on a second or third day in Aswan, or anyone who enjoys reading history straight off the rock.

What is the Famine Stela?

It is an inscription carved on a granite boulder in the Ptolemaic period, around the 2nd century BC, that tells a story set 2,500 years earlier, in the reign of King Djoser of the 3rd dynasty. The text describes seven years of low floods and famine. Djoser consults his architect and sage Imhotep, who learns that Khnum controls the flood from Elephantine; Khnum then appears to the king in a dream, and Djoser grants the god's temple the revenues of the region, ending the famine.

Egyptologists read it as a piece of priestly politics: the priests of Khnum on Elephantine were asserting ancient rights to land and taxes by attaching them to a famous king. It is a vivid survival either way, and the hieroglyphs are clearly cut. See our guides to Djoser and Imhotep and to Khnum for the background.

What else can you see among the rocks?

Scrambling over the boulders on the island's southern side reveals more than 200 inscriptions, many showing officials adoring Anuket or Khnum, with a few naming specific kings and expeditions. Some of the best known record the canal cut through the cataract under Senusret III in the 12th dynasty to let boats pass south on his Nubian campaigns, and its later clearing under Thutmose III.

• Look for: figures with raised arms facing the goddess, cartouches of Middle and New Kingdom kings and long columns of hieroglyphs with names of viceroys of Kush.
• Bring: sturdy shoes for the rough granite, and sunglasses to read the carvings in the glare.
• Ask: the site guardians often point out the clearest inscriptions; a small tip is appreciated.

What is the village on Sehel like?

The island's Nubian village is small, unhurried and genuinely residential, with painted houses, palm groves and children who will walk you to the stela. There are a few homes selling drinks and crafts, but none of the crowds of the larger villages. It is a good choice for travellers who want a glimpse of Nubian life without the commercial edge of Gharb Soheil. Dress modestly and ask before taking photographs of people.

How do you get to Sehel and how long does it take?

Hire a motorboat or felucca from the Corniche; the trip upstream takes about 30 minutes by motorboat, longer under sail depending on the wind. Agree the fare and waiting time first, and ask the boatman to land near the inscriptions rather than the village jetty if you want to start with the stela. Allow about an hour to an hour and a half on the island and two to three hours in total.

Sehel combines naturally with a boat trip to Gharb Soheil, which lies on the west bank opposite, or with a felucca sail around Elephantine Island on the way back. For tickets, check current arrangements with your guide or on egymonuments.gov.eg.

When is the best time to go?

Go in the early morning or late afternoon: the granite absorbs heat and there is no shade among the inscriptions. Low, raking light also makes the shallow carvings much easier to read and photograph. From October to March conditions are comfortable at most times of day; in summer only the first hours after sunrise are pleasant. Our heat and sun safety guide has practical advice.

Sehel also rewards a slow approach by felucca. On a good northerly breeze a sailing boat can reach the island from the Corniche in under an hour, passing the granite boulders, small sandbanks and birdlife of the cataract, and the return downstream is quick. Ask your captain before you set out whether the wind is strong enough; on still days a motorboat is the realistic choice. Our felucca rides guide explains how to arrange a boat and what to agree beforehand.