Lake Nasser is the result of the Aswan High Damn. In 1902, Britain completed a damn at the first cataract of the Nile in Aswan. This helped regulate the flow of the Nile and greatly reduced damage from the yearly floods. By today's standards, this damn was relatively small, and the Nile still flooded, at least on occasion. In 1970, work was completed on the Aswan High Damn. There has not been a flood of the Nile below the damn since. Behind the damn sits Lake Nasser. Named after Egypt's first president, it is a massive reservoir, 600 km long and up to 35 km wide. It covers an area of over 5200 sq. km and besides water storage, also produces the bulk of electricity for northern Egypt. Many ancient archeological sites had to be relocated to save them from the rising waters. Abu Simbel and the Temple of Philae are two of them.

	Views of lake Nasser from both the Aswan High Damn and Abu Simbel (Top Left). Below: Though technically not Lake Nasser because it is between the Old Aswan Damn and the High Aswan Damn, it's close enough. An Ibis.

All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Daren Willden, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.