The painted houses
Blue and yellow walls with Nubian murals.
Heba otefy — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hatem Moushir — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hatem Moushir — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hatem Moushir — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hatem Moushir — CC BY-SA 4.0
Gharb Soheil is a Nubian village on a sandy slope on the west bank of the Nile south of Aswan; its name means west of Sehel, the island opposite. It is one of the best-known Nubian villages among visitors, with its painted domed houses, small markets and guesthouses serving Nubian food. The village was founded about a century ago, when the old Aswan Dam was built in 1902 and raised in 1912 and its waters flooded Nubian villages, pushing many families to higher ground. Its people keep their Nubian language and customs, and tourism has become a mainstay alongside local crafts. You wander sandy lanes between walls painted blue and yellow and decorated with murals, drink tea in a Nubian home and shop for cotton scarves, spices and jewellery. Some houses are said to show young crocodiles; if you see one, don't get too close. Camel rides head up the hills above the river. The village is quietest in the morning and busiest when groups arrive in the afternoon. The village lies about 6 km south-west of central Aswan in a straight line. Boat rides from Aswan pass among the islands, and Sehel Island, 1.7 km north-east, makes an easy pairing. Allow at least an hour and a half, and agree boat and camel fares beforehand.
Blue and yellow walls with Nubian murals.
Tea and food with local families.
Scarves, spices and jewellery.
West bank of the Nile opposite Sehel Island, south of Aswan
Mornings are quietest and afternoons busier, though the boat back at sunset is lovely. The winter months avoid Aswan's fierce summer heat.
Yes. Families run small Nubian guesthouses here, and it is wise to book ahead in the winter season.
