St. Simeon Monastery Tour in Aswan

Ride a camel to St. Simeon’s Monastery on a private, 3.5-hour tour on Aswan's Elephantine Island. Glimpse faint traces of fresco paintings as you explore the 7th-century site, and take in stark views from the fortified walls. Learn the story of the monks that used Elephantine Island as a basecamp for missionary trips into Nubia, and find graffiti left by Islamic pilgrims during their long journeys to Mecca.

Overview Negotiating with camel drivers is a real Egypt low point—and the visitor never wins. Enjoy all the fun of a bumpy, humpy ride with none of the haggling as you steer your steed to St. Simeon Monastery, a fortress-like 7th-century monastery on Elephantine Island. Your guide will collect you from your hotel or port, accompany you on the ferry, help with your camel, and show you the ruins. Ride a camel from the boat landing to the southern tip of Elephantine Island Explore 7th-century St. Simeon Monastery with a guide Beat the heat with bottled water on demand Take it easy with door-to-door round-trip transfers

What To Expect Itinerary This is a typical itinerary for this product Stop At: Monastery of St. Simeon, Aswan, Aswan Governorate, Nile River Valley Today you will join Youregypttours.com to a camel ride to the southern tip of Elephantine Island where you will find St Simeon's Monastery, an ancient, abandoned fortress monastery mostly built during the 7th century and located near Aswan. The monastery was given the name St Simeon by archaeologists and travelers, but earlier Arabic and Coptic sources called it Anba Hatre (Hidra, Hadri, Hadra), after an anchorite who was consecrated a bishop of Syene (now Aswan) by Patriarch Theophilus (385-412 AD). Anba Hatre married at the age of eighteen. Tradition says that just after the wedding, he encountered a funeral procession which inspired him to preserve his chastity and later become a disciple of Saint Baiman. After eight years of ascetic practices under the supervision of his teacher, he retired to the desert and applied himself to the study of the life of Saint Antony. He died during the time of Theodosius I.

Departure & Return Departure Point Tour departs from Aswan hotels or Port area Departure Time 8:30am (later departures are available until 3:00pm) Hotel pickups commence approximately 30 - 60 minutes prior to this time, exact pickup time will be advised on reconfirmation. Return Details Tour returns to original point of departure