Michael Batson

The city of Aswan in Upper Egypt is home like many of that country’s cities to much ancient history. Aswan though has something different, something other Egyptian cities do not have; a monument of more recent times which, like those from antiquity, is an equally awe-inspiring feat of engineering. I find some examples of engineering fascinating. Engineering is essentially about problem solving. Feats of ancient engineering like those in Egypt were for worship and idolatry, and about the accumulation and retention of power usually by one person, or their family. “Look what I can create” designed to instil fear into the people. Aswan’s feat of modern engineering helped to change the face of Egypt for it came on the wave of nationalism; a symbol of the country’s burgeoning independence. It was part of the new broom, out with the old and in with the new, and stood for a better future. The faces of the leadership and politics since then have changed, but the impact of what was created - much of it by a charismatic self-made technocrat and entrepreneur who became one of the world’s richest men - will be felt for the next 200 years and maybe even beyond. Aswan (formerly Assuan or Assouan) is almost 900kms from the Egyptian capital accessible by road, rail from Cairo, and by air. To get to Aswan I got the train to Luxor taking almost all day and then hired a car and driver another day for the 420kms round trip. These days there’s a choice of trains, by day or by night and