Message #112659

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 Elephantine Island, showing the nilometer (lower left) and the Aswan Museum








                                               E L E P H A N T I N E    I S L A N D






Elephantine (Arabic: جزيرة الفنتين‎) is an island in the River Nile, located just downstream of the First Cataract
at 24°05′N 32°53′E / 24.083, 32.883 at the southern border of Ancient Egypt.

This region is referred to as Upper Egypt because the ancient Egyptians oriented themselves toward the
direction from which the river flowed. It may have received its name because it was a trading place for
Ivory.

The island measures some 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) from north to south and is about 400 metres (1,300 ft)
across at its widest point.

It is a part of the modern Egyptian city of Aswan.