Completed in 1902, the Aswan Dam was a feat of engineering for its time and the largest dam in the world, measuring 2441m across, 50m high and 30m wide. Although not an attraction in itself, the road that runs across the top of the dam (which you'll take if heading to the airport or Abu Simbel) has excellent Nile views.
Plans for the Aswan Dam began at the end of the 19th century, when Egypt’s fast-growing population made it imperative to cultivate more agricultural land. This would only be possible by regulating the flow of the Nile, which would also ensure the river did not burst its banks during the flood. British engineer Sir William Willcocks started construction in 1898 above the First Cataract, with the dam structure made almost entirely of Aswan granite.
It was raised twice to meet demand, not only to increase the area of cultivable land but also to provide hydroelectric power. Today the old dam generates hydroelectricity only for a nearby factory producing fertilisers. With the opening of the High Dam 6km upstream in the 1960s, though, the original dam's use was usurped.
