Visiting the Aswan Dam – Unfinished Obelisk

Aswan Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Nile River in Egypt, near the city of Aswan. It is the largest dam in the country and one of the most important in the world. The dam serves three needs: a) to control the floods of the Nile River b) to store water from floods so that it can be released more slowly; and c) to produce hydroelectric energy. The Soviets helped the people of Egypt in the design and construction of the granite dam. It is 3.26 km long and 111 m high above the base of the Nile River. The dam was built about 13 kilometers south of the Egyptian city of Aswan, and its name is: “Aswan High Dam“. The Soviets also supplied the hydroelectric equipment used at the power plant. It took ten years to build the dam, at a cost of $ 1 billion. The dam was opened in 1970, and has produced both positive and negative effects on humans and the environment.