Aswan Botanical Garden (Kitchener's Island)
An island garden of exotic trees and plants in the middle of the Nile at Aswan, once owned by Lord Kitchener.
An island in the river
Kitchener's Island is a small island in the Nile at Aswan, lying to the west of Elephantine Island. In the 1890s it was given to the British general Herbert Kitchener, then commander of the Egyptian army during the campaigns in Sudan, who indulged his passion for plants by importing trees and shrubs from across Africa, Asia and the wider world to create a garden. After his death the island passed to the Egyptian government, and it has been maintained as a botanical garden ever since.
The garden
The Aswan Botanical Garden covers the whole island with shaded avenues and beds of trees and plants from tropical and subtropical regions, including palms of many species, flowering trees, fig trees, and plants grown for spices, perfumes and medicines. It is a research garden as well as a public park, home to many birds, and one of the greenest and most peaceful places in Aswan. From the edges of the island there are views across the river to Elephantine, the Corniche and the west bank, with Qubbet el-Hawa on its hill.
Visiting
The garden is reached by felucca or motorboat and is often included in boat trips around the islands of Aswan. A small entrance fee is charged.
Exhibo editorial
After the granite, the sand and the heat of Aswan, Kitchener's Island is pure relief: a green island of palms and flowering trees, birds calling in the branches, the river sliding past on both sides. It's a place to slow down rather than to sightsee.
Arrive by felucca, wander the shady avenues, find a bench at the southern tip and watch the boats tacking between the islands. It's the perfect pause in the middle of a day on the river, and late afternoon light makes it glow.
Gallery
How to find it
Hire a felucca or motorboat from the Aswan Corniche; the boat lands at the garden's jetty on the island, west of Elephantine. The garden can be combined with a visit to the west bank, Elephantine and the Nubian villages on the same boat trip.
