To many, Aswan is a desert landscape: restless winds and traveling dunes, Nile waters lapping at just-green, nearly-green banks, and men in jalabiyas teasing a fire. While not entirely misguided, Aswan is more than an open-air museum for the ancient and unmarked; it is a place of immense beauty and ecological diversity.

Nothing speaks more to the fact than Aswan’s Botanical Island.

As a natural reserve built on 17 acres of land, it houses some of the rarest, most perennial plants. With upwards of 380 species, the garden is home to everything from aromatic and medicinal trees, to the ornamental and tropical varieties, along with exotic fauna to match.

The finest way to experience its grandeur is in person; the second finest way is in photos.

Here is Aswan’s famous Botanical Island.

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