Famine Stela
Monument Ancient Egyptian inscription detailing a seven-year famine
Carved on Sehel Island near Aswan, the Famine Stela preserves an ancient Egyptian inscription recounting a seven‑year Nile failure. Nile historians and cruise passengers stop to read the hieroglyphs and to view the stela during Upper Egypt tours.
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The Famine Stela is a carved stone inscription on Sehel Island near Aswan, Egypt, notable for its text concerning a prolonged seven-year famine and its links to ancient kings and temple institutions. The stela is set among other inscriptions and rock-carvings on the island.
The inscription itself dates to the Ptolemaic period but recounts a narrative set in an earlier Egyptian past, invoking royal names and temple authorities to explain the origin and resolution of the famine. Its text has been used by historians and Egyptologists as a source for understanding how later periods represented earlier historical traditions.
The stela lies on Sehel Island in the Nile near Aswan and is part of a wider set of epigraphic monuments and quarry marks in the area, visited by those interested in Egyptian epigraphy and Nile-culture archaeology.
Sehel Island sits in the Nile close to Aswan in southern Egypt; the Famine Stela is one of the island’s better known inscriptions and is reached from Aswan by short river crossing.
- Date and content: The text on the stela is a Ptolemaic-period inscription that recounts an earlier seven-year famine and links the event to Old Kingdom kings and temple officials.
What to See #
- Inscribed stela on Sehel Island: The stela is an inscribed stone slab located on Sehel Island with a hieroglyphic text that links a multi-year famine to ancient royal actions and temple cults.
How to Get to Famine Stela #
The Famine Stela is on Sehel Island near Aswan. Visitors typically travel from Aswan by boat (felucca or motorboat) from the Aswan corniche; the crossing is a short boat ride (commonly around 10-20 minutes) followed by a short walk on the island to the stela. Most access is arranged as day trips from Aswan rather than by road.
Tips for Visiting Famine Stela #
- The Famine Stela is on Sehel (Seyal) Island near Aswan-reach it by a short felucca trip from Aswan's corniche and plan for an early-morning visit to avoid mid-day heat.
- Bring a guide or guidebook: there is little interpretation on site, and a guide will place the inscription in context and point out the many other rock inscriptions on Sehel Island.
- Combine the stela with a short tour of nearby Elephantine and Kitchener's Island on the same boat trip to make the most of the short island-hopping logistics from Aswan.
Best Time to Visit Famine Stela #
Best visited in the cooler months (autumn through early spring) when Aswan's daytime heat is much milder.
Weather & Climate near Famine Stela #
Famine Stela's climate is classified as Hot Desert - Hot Desert climate with very hot summers (peaking in July) and mild winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 9°C to 42°C. Very dry conditions with minimal rainfall.
January
January is the coolest month with highs of 24°C and lows of 9°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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February
February is cool with highs of 25°C and lows of 10°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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March
March is mild with highs of 30°C and lows of 14°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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April
April is warm with highs of 36°C and lows of 20°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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May
May is hot with highs of 40°C and lows of 24°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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June
June is hot with highs of 42°C and lows of 26°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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July
July is the hottest month with highs of 42°C and lows of 26°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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August
August is hot with highs of 42°C and lows of 26°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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September
September is hot with highs of 40°C and lows of 24°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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October
October is hot with highs of 37°C and lows of 21°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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November
November is mild with highs of 30°C and lows of 15°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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December
December is mild with highs of 25°C and lows of 11°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
