The summer palace, used by the current rulers of Egypt, often appears on city tours. This area of Egypt is usually not included on package holidays since almost nothing exists here that remotely resembles the ancient temples along the Nile. Many granite columns that can be found everywhere in Israel, Greece and Turkey were quarried at Aswan, floated down the Nile, and shipped by boat from this port. The harbor created an instant stockpile of building material for invading armies. This ancient "city of wisdom" was looted of it's glorious structures to be reused in some distant church, palace, or museum. Only Cleopatra's harbor fortress remains, off limits to tourists . . . . why?
