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Aswan Local Customs

Learn the local customs of Aswan. Tips and photos posted by real travelers and Aswan locals.
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Whirling Dervish
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  • sue_stone
  • By sue_stone on February 1, 2005
  • Aswan Page by sue_stone
  • dizzy yet!? - Aswan
    dizzy yet!?
    by sue_stone
    A Whirling Dervish is a unique dance - a "religious ceremony transcending into performing art".

    It is a dance performed by an order of the Islamic faith, and it involves the dancer whirling around and around continuously for minutes.

    The dancer starts off slowly turning and gets faster as the music picks up pace. They spin and spin, lifting parts of their costumes up as they go.

    It goes on for so long that you start to feel dizzy just watching - you wait with baited breath for them to fall over.....but they don't...they keep spinning and whirling.

    Amazing!

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    Shisha Anyone!?
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  • sue_stone
  • Updated By sue_stone on February 7, 2005
  • Aswan Page by sue_stone
  • enjoying a Shisha - Aswan
    enjoying a Shisha
    by sue_stone
    A very popular custom in Egypt is smoking a shisha.

    A shisha is a small packet containing a rolled tobacco leaf, a small amount of molasses, and some apple flavour.

    This is put in a type of 'water pipe' under a burning charcoal. You then inhale and the smoke passes through the water, cooling it.
    The cooled smoke picks up the flavours of the shisha.

    There are shisha parlors all over the place where people (mainly men) get together with friends for a quiet smoke and a turkish coffee.

    I didn't try it, but wish I had.

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    Egyptian-Russian Friendship
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  • Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • By Kuznetsov_Sergey on October 7, 2007
  • Aswan Page by Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Aswan - Egyptian-Russian Friendship - Me - Aswan
    Aswan - Egyptian-Russian
    Friendship - Me
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey, 4 more photos
    It is pleasant to visit the country in which you are hospitably meet not only because you the stranger but also because you have arrived from the especially favorite by locals country. I felt such impression during visiting Egypt and especially in Aswan. Egyptians really love Russians! There are many reasons of such a feeling.

    One of them - the Aswan Dam, which has been constructed at scientific and technical participation of the USSR. In 1960th and in the beginning of 1970th Egypt and the USSR were great friends. In a photo you may see me on a background of two arms. Hardly above there were portraits of heads of our states Gabal Nasser and Nikita Khrushchev.

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    How close do you live to a river?
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  • ATXtraveler
  • By ATXtraveler on July 11, 2004
  • Aswan Page by ATXtraveler
  • View from the Nile - Aswan
    View from the Nile
    by ATXtraveler
    One of the most interesting facts that we learned on our trip to Egypt is that 95% of Egyptians live with 12 miles of the Nile River.

    It is truly amazing to think that one single natural landmark could completely dominate an entire country's prosperity as greatly as the Nile River dominates the Egyptian way of life!

    Of course that is until you actually experience this river, which is truly amazing in and of itself.

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    Tourist Site Tourist Police
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  • VZ-Pam
  • Updated By VZ-Pam on January 29, 2008
  • Aswan Page by VZ-Pam
  • This handsome tourist police did not ask tips ! - Aswan
    This handsome tourist police
    did not ask tips !
    by VZ-Pam
    Many tourist police or locals will wave at you & help you to find the best view in these tourist sites. However, while some of them are really friendly but many are asking for a tip for these services. So prepare yourself with many small bills or nice pens to give out to establish international friendship (many asked me for pens in Aswan & Luxor) . If you carry lots of pens like I did, please don't show all of them or you will hear a list of their entire family that want a pen : )

    I list this under local customs because I think the practice is so widely found in all tourist areas, I conside it a local custom to pay tips or give "gifts" under various situations : )

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    The Call To Prayer
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  • Court94403
  • Updated By Court94403 on May 11, 2008
  • Aswan Page by Court94403
  • Mosque and Minaret; Aswan, Egypt - Aswan
    Mosque and Minaret; Aswan,
    Egypt
    by Court94403, 1 more photos
    The Call to Prayer or Adhan, is a series of the five daily prayers, (known as the salah). The prayer is heard at dawn, midday, middle of the afternoon, just after sunset, and at night a few hours after sunset. The Adhan is recited by the muezzin. The muezzin is a chosen person appointed to call to prayer. The melodious call is heard from the top of a minaret. The minaret is the tall tower standing next to the mosque. In most modern mosques, the call is now given from a loudspeaker inside the musallah, or prayer hall from a microphone.

    Responding to the call to prayer the worshipper rolls out his or her prayer carpet determines the direction of Mecca, and quietly recites the verses recited in the call to prayer. After the series of chants, the Adhan is complete and the faithful will continue on with their day.

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    Nubian Villages
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  • Jim_Eliason
  • By Jim_Eliason on January 14, 2007
  • Aswan Page by Jim_Eliason
  • Nubian Village - Aswan
    Nubian Village
    by Jim_Eliason
    Just north of the Aswan dam along the Nile are the villages of the Nubians who were displaced by the filling of Lake Nassar. Aswan is the center of Nubian culture in Egypt.

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    Bring some candies for the kids!
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  • draguza
  • By draguza on January 26, 2006
  • Aswan Page by draguza
  • Egypt kids - Aswan
    Egypt kids
    by draguza
    While in Aswan (and in Egypt in general) I noticed still so much poverty among the locals.

    When the children there notice some Western tourist, they "assault you" asking for some money or some candies. Our guide told us it is better to give them some sweets or chocolate rather than money, otherwise they spend it and skip school in the morning!

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    Boobytrap on board
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  • Luchonda
  • By Luchonda on February 22, 2005
  • Aswan Page by Luchonda
  • Local custom - Aswan
    Local custom
    by Luchonda
    The servants on board of a "Cruise on the Nile" like to show their presence and effectnes of cleaning up the rooms.
    By using your left clothings and use them as a boobytrap. You will be surprised !

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    Smoke a Bowl... A Houka Bowl
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  • ATXtraveler
  • By ATXtraveler on May 22, 2004
  • Aswan Page by ATXtraveler
  • Mohammed having a Houka in the Nubian Village - Aswan
    Mohammed having a Houka in the
    Nubian Village
    by ATXtraveler
    In Egypt, narcotics are illegal, however you will see several people on the streets smoking this bowl of tobacco.... have a Houka!

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