New Kalabsha

New Kalabsha is an archaeological park and museum complex near Aswan in southern Egypt assembled to house monuments moved during the mid-20th-century Nubian salvage campaign. Monuments were dismantled and re-erected on higher ground to protect them from rising waters after construction of the Aswan High Dam.

The site is centred on the Roman-period temple originally at Kalabsha, which was rebuilt at the new location and is the principal monument on display. A small open-air display groups other relocated reliefs and smaller structures to provide a compact overview of relocated Nubian antiquities.

The temple and associated monuments date to the late Pharaonic and Roman periods, reflecting the long occupation and religious history of Lower Nubia prior to the dam’s construction. Conservation work during relocation aimed to retain as much original stonework and context as possible.

New Kalabsha sits on the edge of Lake Nasser close to Aswan in southern Egypt, within Aswan Governorate, and is commonly visited on excursions from the city of Aswan.

• Nubian salvage: Relocated in the 1960s as part of the international effort to save Nile valley monuments from flooding after the Aswan High Dam.

What to See #

• Temple of Kalabsha: The relocated Roman-period temple dedicated to the Nubian deity Mandulis forms the centrepiece of the site and was carefully dismantled and rebuilt on higher ground during the 1960s international Nubian salvage campaign.