Uncover Aswan’s Treasures: Nubian Village And philae Tample and Abu Simbel Temple Aswan is a relaxed and friendly town that provides a tranquil interlude if you’ve just arrived from busier Luxor or Cairo. Aswan, a town on the Northern border of Nubia, was once one of the most important cities in Egypt. It lay on the trade route between Egypt and the Southern territories along which ivory, gold, slaves and exotic animals passed into Egypt.