Aswan and Daniel

Looking north towards Aswan town, past Agatha Christie's Cataract Hotel.

I love and dread Aswan simultaneously. I dread it for the heat stored in the granite hills and released at night so that even when the sun goes down there is no relief. I love it because of its dramatic and romantic surroundings.

From the hotel where the Diggings Tour stays one can see the Aga Khan's tomb, Agatha Christie's hotel, the granite "elephants" of Elephantine, the ragged teeth of the first cataract, the tawny sands of the Sahara and the cool green waters of the Nile - and that's without mentioning the things on the other side of the building!

In this film I concentrate on just one fascinating tale from Aswan's long history, the story of the Jewish colony that lived there for two and a half centuries. Ever heard of them? No? Then watch on.

There are no popular histories on this subject and the scholarly works referred to in the "More info" link are expensive but if you really, really want to check up on the accuracy of my tale, then you have the option!