Aswan High Dam

Aswan High Dam

IntroductionThe Aswan High Dam was first built between 1898 and 1902 to provide irrigation and generate electricity. By the 1960s, the dam could no longer meet the needs of land irrigation and power supply, so the Egyptian government began constructing the current dam 6 kilometers upstream from the old one, completing it in 1971. Currently, the dam’s power generation meets most of the country’s electricity needs. The Aswan High Dam is 111 meters high, 3,830 meters long, and 40 meters wide. It spans the Nile River, causing the water to back up 500 kilometers and forming the artificial Lake Nasser, which has a storage capacity of 164 billion cubic meters. It helps control flooding and stores surplus water sufficient for several years. During the severe drought in the Nile Basin in the 1980s, famine struck Sudan and Ethiopia, but Egypt was spared thanks to this dam. Admission/Opening HoursVisiting hours: 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Aswan, Egypt