Elephantine Island

 Elephantine Island is the largest of the Aswan area islands, and is one of the most ancient sites in Egypt. As an island, it was also easily secured. In fact, the ancient town located in the southern part of the island was also a castle through much of it's history. At one time, there was a bridge from the mainland to the island.
Elephantine is Greek for elephant. In ancient times, the Island, as well as the southern town, was called Abu, or Yabu, which also meant elephant. The town has also been called Kom, after it's principle god of the island, Khnum (Khnemu).

 It is believed that the island received it's name because it was a major ivory trading center, though in fact, it was a major trading post of many merchandise. There are large boulders in the river near the island which resembled bathing elephants, particularly from afar, and this too has been suggested as a reason for the island's name.

One of it's main attractions is it's Nilometer, which is one of only three on the Nile, which was used to measure the water level of the Nile as late as the nineteenth century. Another major attraction is the ruins of the Temple of Khnum. There are also ruins of a Temple of Satet, who was Khnum's female counterpart. On the south end of the island is a small one room Ptolemaic temple which was constructed from materials removed from the Kalabsha Temple.