The Aswan dams provide clear evidence that Egypt's fundamental problem is far more intractable than John Gunter's terse assessment suggested: “Create more land. Or reduce the number of people. Any solution will end the problem, but none of them are simple." Each dam made large areas cultivable, increasing agricultural productivity and providing electricity for industry. However, all the positive effect came to naught due to the rapid growth of the population, which once again threatens to exceed the level provided by the available resources.
This circumstance is forcing Egypt to implement even more ambitious irrigation projects. Well aware of the importance of dams, Egyptians tend to view them as a prime tourist attraction. In contrast, most foreigners see these structures only as a way to reach Abu Simbel, Philae Island and the Kalabsha Temple, which were rebuilt on a higher site after the construction of a high-rise dam. The views from the top of both dams are quite impressive, so make sure to stop here on your trip.
Directly upriver from the First Rapids stands the Aswan Dam, built by the British (1898-1902) and subsequently completed twice to increase productivity. This is one of the largest structures of its kind in the whole world, 50 meters high, 2 kilometers long, 30 meters thick at the base and 11 at the top. Driving along it, you will definitely notice 180 sluice holes, which are opened during floods, and then, as the water level in the river drops, they are gradually closed in order to at least partially preserve the natural cycle.
Now that the high-rise dam has taken over all water storage and irrigation functions, the old one specializes mainly in generating electricity for the nearby Kim plant, which produces chemical fertilizers. South of the dam you can see among the islands. At the eastern end of the dam is the former Reservoir Colony, now called Khazan. Colonial-style villas are nestled here among green gardens. Minibus taxis and pickups run here from Aswan, but at the time of writing this article they did not take foreign tourists.
In 1952, it became clear that the Aswan Dam could no longer meet the needs of Egypt and did not guarantee reliable protection against mass famine. Nasser promised to build a new high dam six kilometers upriver that would give Egypt a future, lead to the development of new industrial sectors and send electricity to every village. When, under pressure from the United States, the World Bank refused to provide a promised loan, Nasser carried out nationalization to obtain funds for the project and turned to the USSR for help.
Construction of the dam (1960-1971) continued after his death, as did the era of Soviet-Egyptian cooperation. When Egypt decided to install more powerful turbine generators in the late eighties, it bought them from America - after which it turned out that there were fewer problems with the Russians. Today, Western European contractors are being invited to implement a major new project in Toshka, which someone called “A Playground for Engineers.”
Visit to the high dam
The high dam is located 13 kilometers from Aswan. You can move along it at any time from 7.00 to 17.00. All car occupants must pay a £5 toll. They may be asked to show their passports. At the western entrance to the dam stands the Soviet-Egyptian Memorial - a giant tower in the shape of a lotus flower, built as a symbol of cooperation and the benefits brought by the dam. Both are shown on the heroic bas-relief, made in the style of socialist realism. The high observation deck, which must be reached by elevator, can accommodate only four visitors at a time.
Here you can watch how the concrete from which the dam is built crumbles and experience an attack of dizziness. Near the eastern end of the dam there is a pavilion for visitors (daily, 7:00-17:00), which the keeper will unlock after receiving baksheesh. Among the exhibits is a fifteen-meter model of the dam, plans for its construction (in Russian and Arabic) and a selection of photographs telling about the movement.
Unless you ask to be taken to the tower (burg) or model (mekat), the taxi will simply stop in the middle of the dam so you can take a quick tour. From this excellent position, the height of the dam (111 meters) is difficult to assess due to its fencing, but the length (3830 meters) and width at the top (40 meters) with a width of the base (980 meters) are impressive. From the southern end of the dam you can see beyond Lake Nasser. To the north, you can see the giant 2,100-megawatt power plant located on the eastern bank and the canals through which water flows into the Nile. There are always clouds of fog hanging over them, which are cut through by a rainbow from time to time. Further down the river, among a group of islands, lies Philae Island.
Since foreigners are prohibited from using minibus taxis in Aswan, the only public transport to the high dam is the third class train (hourly from 6am to 4pm; £1) to Saad al-Ali Station, five minutes away. kilometers from the eastern end of the causeway near the pier where the ferry to Wadi Halfa and cruise ships traveling on Lake Nasser stop. Here, tourists who come ashore are allowed to take a minibus to Aswan (stop next to the station; 1.5 pounds).
Lake Nasser and its impact on the environment
The most striking consequence of the construction of the high dam was the creation of Lake Nasser, which stretches for 500 kilometers and reaches the territory of Sudan. Depth in some places over 180 meters, with a surface area of 6 thousand square kilometers, the lake is the largest reservoir in the world and more closely resembles an inland sea. During a decade-long drought, when the Nile water level dropped to its lowest level in 350 years, it saved Egypt from the famine that was ravaging Ethiopia and Sudan.
When heavy rains in 1988 forced the Nile to overflow its banks, the high-rise dam saved Khartoum from flooding. Since the destruction of the dam would sweep most of Egypt's population into the Mediterranean Sea, protecting the dam is a top priority. Radar installations and anti-aircraft systems are located on the surrounding hills. It has not been forgotten that Israel threatened to bomb the dam during the 1967 and 1973 wars and Gaddafi in 1984.
Although the social, cultural and environmental impacts of the dam have yet to be assessed, its arrival has brought with it most of the promised benefits. Egypt was able to convert 700,000 feddans (a measure of area slightly less than an acre) of cultivated land from an ancient estuary irrigation system to year-round irrigation, doubling or even tripling the number of harvests, and making about a million feddans of desert cultivable.
In addition, the appearance of the dam caused a 30% increase in industrial production. It generates electricity for Aswan's chemical and cement plants, the Helwan Iron and Steel Works and oil refineries. Fishing and serving tourists on Lake Nasser have become profitable industries. And the new Toshka pumping station and the Sheikh Zayed Canal, as the Toshka project is implemented, should turn new areas of the desert into fertile land.
The main victims are the Nubians, whose homeland was flooded by the lake. Other aspects of the dam's impact on the environment are still being studied. The evaporation of the lake leads to fog, clouds and even precipitation over previously arid areas, and groundwater under the Sahara reaches distant Algeria. Because the dam traps the silt that once brought fertility back to Egypt's fields, farmers now rely on fertilizers. It is possible to prevent soil salinization caused by year-round irrigation only by creating an extensive drainage system.
However, this turns local lands into a source of mosquitoes and bilharzia. Ancient monuments are also exposed to salt caused by rising water levels and increased humidity. Some even believe that the dam has made Egypt more susceptible to earthquakes. Finally, without the silt deposits that regularly filled it before, it is intensively destroyed by the Mediterranean Sea along the entire coast.
According to existing calculations, the lake itself will be filled with silt within five hundred years. Some believe that by then Nubia may once again be covered with lush vegetation, as in the prehistoric period. Others fear international conflicts over water resources in the very near future. When Ethiopia recently began exploring the possibility of building a dam on the Abbay River (the source of the Blue Nile), the Egyptian government warned that any reduction in the amount of Nile water flowing into the country (according to the treaty is 59 billion cubic meters annually) would be considered a threat to national security. , and in the future even more water will be needed.
Cruises and fishing on Lake Nasser
To appreciate the magnitude of Lake Nasser and see the otherwise inaccessible monuments known as Lake Nasser, Amada and Qasr Ibrim, you must take a cruise. Cruise ships began sailing the lake in 1993 at the initiative of Mustafa al-Gindi, a Nubian born in Cairo. His first two ships were the Eugenie (reminiscent of an early 20th century hunting lodge) and the Qasr Ibrim (built in a typical 1930s Art Deco style, both operated by Belle Epoque Travel in Cairo).
There are currently five other ships sailing on the lake: Prince Abbas, Queen Abu Simbek, Nubian Sea and Tania - all five-star, with the exception of the four-star Tania. Each follows the same route, making a four-day journey from the high dam or a three-day sail from Abu Simbel. The cruise includes visits to the three monuments mentioned above, as well as Abu Simbel and the Kalabsha Temple. Most passengers are members of tour groups who reserve seats in advance before arriving in Egypt.
But participation in the cruise can also be arranged through Belle Epoque in, as well as in agencies located on the Aswan waterfront, such as Eastmar Travel (Nubian Sea) or Travco (Tania). Prices range from $120 to $190 per person per night, including meals and monument visits. Nubian Sea won the competition for best cuisine. Because drinks on ships are so expensive, some travelers choose to smuggle their own supply on board.
Lake Nasser, among other things, is a great place for fishing fans. It is home to Nile perch (the largest specimen caught weighed 176 kilograms, not far from the world record), eighteen species of giant catfish, including the legendary vundu, large tilapia and the piranha-like terapon. Because tilapia (at the bottom of the food chain) spawn in April, other fish are most abundant during the summer months. The best fishing spots are in the north, up to Amada. To the south, most of the fish serve as food for crocodiles.
Several operators in Aswan organize special tours for fishing enthusiasts. Check out African Angler, run by former Kenyan safari organizer Tim Bailey, who offer six (£600-750) and 13-night (£1,090-£1,315) trips (paid in pounds sterling and include flights from with draft on request). or Lake Nasser Adventure, founded by former Eugenie cruise ship manager Pascal Artieda and local fisherman Negrashi. A third agency, El-Temsah, run by Ala Temsah, organizes fishing, duck-hunting and bird-watching trips for small groups (£600 per person per night).
The Aswan hydroelectric complex is the largest complex hydraulic system of structures in Egypt on the Nile River, near Aswan, a city on the first threshold of the Nile. (Chief engineer of the project - N.A. Malyshev) Two dams block the river at this place: the new “Aswan High Dam” (known as the Aswan High Dam) (Arabic: السد العالي, As-Sad el-Aali) and the old “Aswan Dam" or "Aswan Lower Dam".
The Nile originates at the lake. Victoria in the south of the African continent. Flowing north to the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides it into western and eastern parts, crossing Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and ending with Egypt on its way. Each of these states has its own interests in the use of its water resources. Without a reservoir, the Nile overflowed its banks every year during the summer, overflowing with the flow of water from eastern Africa. These floods carried fertile silt and minerals that made the soil around the Nile fertile and ideal for agriculture. As the population along the river's banks grew, there was a need to control the flow of water to protect farmland and cotton fields. The average annual flow of the Nile in the area of Sudan and Egypt is estimated at 84 billion cubic meters. The average annual flow of the river is subject to significant fluctuations. The decrease in runoff in some years reaches 45 billion cubic meters, which leads to droughts, an increase to 150 billion cubic meters. causes floods. In a high-water year, entire fields could be completely washed away, while in a low-water year, famine due to drought was widespread. The purpose of this water project was to prevent floods, provide Egypt with electricity, and create a network of irrigation canals for agriculture.
Design features
A special feature of the hydroelectric station is the design of the spillways with the water exiting not under the water level of the downstream canal, but into the atmosphere with a jet discharge at a distance of 120-150 meters from the hydroelectric power station building. The water flow rate released by 12 spillways reaches 5000 m³ per second. The energy of the flow is extinguished due to the rise of the jet 30 m above the water level of the tailwater and subsequent fall into a channel about 20 m deep. For the first time in world practice, such a solution was used during the construction of the Kuibyshev hydroelectric station
At the entrance section of the water intake, the tunnels are branched into two tiers. The lower tier, which is currently covered with a concrete plug, was used to pass water during the construction period. Along the upper tier, water is supplied to turbines and spillways. At the entrance of the tunnels there are two fast-falling wheeled gates with a height of 20 meters. The minimum number of turbines was determined by the largest diameter of the impeller that could be carried along the Nile through the existing locks. Based on this, six tunnels with a diameter of 15 meters were built - one for two turbines.
The Aswan High Dam consists of 3 sections. The right-bank and left-bank sections of the dam, 30 m high, have a rocky base, the channel section is 550 m long, 111 m high, and has a sandy base. The thickness of the sand at the base is 130 meters. The dam was built in an existing reservoir 35 meters deep without damming or draining the foundation. The dam has a flattened profile and is built from local materials. The core and rim of the dam are made of so-called Aswan clay.
History of construction
To control the flow of the Nile, the first design for a dam below Aswan was first drawn up in the 11th century by Ibn al-Haytham. However, the project could not be implemented with the technical means of that time.
By the 1950s, several low-head dams had been built on the Nile. The highest of them is Aswan with a height of 53 m in the area of the first Nile threshold with a reservoir capacity of 5 billion cubic meters. was built by the British. Construction of the first dam began in 1899 and was completed in 1902. The project was designed by Sir William Willcox and involved several distinguished engineers, including Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Aird, whose firm, John Aird and Company, was the main contractor. The height of the constructed dam increased during the periods 1907-1912 and 1929-1933, but it only partially provided seasonal flow regulation.
After the 1952 revolution, three versions of a new dam were developed to regulate flow. The first was the expansion of the existing Aswan Dam, which was rejected because the topography of the banks did not allow the construction of a dam with a given reservoir elevation. The second and third options proposed placing the site of the new dam 6.5 and 40 km above the existing one, which, due to the terrain conditions, met the requirements for creating a long-term regulation reservoir. Based on geological conditions and transport connections, the option of locating the site 6.5 km above the Aswan Dam was chosen. But this site fell within the zone of an existing reservoir, which complicated the design of the dam and the technology of its construction.
By 1952, the English design and survey company "Alexander Gibb" (English) Russian). The Aswan High Dam project was developed. The maximum possible elevation of the reservoir's headwaters was determined, providing for the possibility of long-term regulation of the Nile flow. The reservoir's capacity was determined to be 157 billion cubic meters. of which about 30 billion cubic meters. 10 billion cubic meters were allocated for siltation. - for evaporation and filtration. This project involved the construction of drainage and transport tunnels with a total length of 17 km. The drainage tunnels were to have a diameter of 14.6 m and a length of 2.1 km. These tunnels had to be lined with reinforced concrete lining. The hydroelectric power station building was supposed to be underground with a tunnel supply and drainage of water.
On December 4, 1954, an international committee submitted a report to the Egyptian government confirming the feasibility of the project. The construction cost was estimated at EGP 415 million, of which 35% was in foreign currency for the purchase of construction and process equipment. After this, the Egyptian government decided to immediately begin construction. The construction was supposed to be financed with the help of a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. On July 17, 1956, the US State Department announced that the agreement to provide a loan to Egypt had been approved. The loan amount of $200 million was divided between the US (70%) and the UK (30%). The credit had to be provided by the International Bank in the form of a loan. However, two days later, on July 19, the bank withdrew its decision.
In March 1955, the first trade agreement was signed between the USSR and Egypt. The diplomatic mission in Cairo was transformed into an embassy, and on May 21, negotiations began in Moscow on the supply of Soviet weapons, which ended with the signing of an agreement. On July 26, 1956, President Abdel Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal, the annual revenues from the operation of which in the amount of $100 million would be used for the construction of the Aswan High Dam. England, France and Israel provoked a military conflict by occupying the canal with troops during the Suez crisis. In response, the Soviet Union sends warships into the Mediterranean Sea. Under pressure from the UN, USA and USSR, on November 6, 1956, a decision was made to stop the aggression and leave the canal in Egyptian hands. At the height of the Cold War in the struggle for the third world countries[clarify].
On December 27, 1958, an agreement was signed between the USSR and Egypt on the participation of the Soviet Union in the construction of the Aswan High Dam and the provision of a loan for this construction. In accordance with this agreement, the Soviet Union provided a loan for 12 years with a rate of 2.5% per annum in the amount of 34.8 million Egyptian pounds for the supply of equipment and technical assistance for the first stage of construction, and on July 27, 1960 an additional agreement was concluded for the amount of 78.4 million pounds on the same terms to complete all work on the waterworks. The Hydroproject Institute was appointed as the general designer, N.A. Malyshev as the chief engineer, I.V. Komzin as the Chief Soviet expert, Georgy Aleksandrovich Radchenko as the deputy Chief expert, G.I. Sukharev as the deputy Chief expert for procurement, and G.I. Sukharev as the deputy Chief expert. for personnel - Vitaly Georgievich Morozov, head of the administrative group - Viktor Ivanovich Kulygin.
The Soviet project of the hydroelectric complex differed radically from the approved one. The site area was preserved, but the dam was placed 400 meters higher, and the diversion was adopted as a combined one. Its main part consists of inlet and outlet canals, and only a section of 315 meters is made in the form of six tunnels with a diameter of 15 meters. To create a diversion, an open rock excavation with a depth of up to 70 meters and a volume of about 10 million cubic meters was made. Stone from this excavation was used for filling the dam and for grading the construction site. Tunnels 315 meters long during the construction period, after blocking the riverbed, diverted water to the unfinished hydroelectric power station building, and during operation, water is supplied through them to turbines and spillways, also located in the hydroelectric power station building.
The construction management system began to take shape in 1952. At the beginning, several specialized committees were created. On October 19, 1955, the Aswan High Dam Authority was created under the Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister. In 1958, the Higher Committee of the Aswan High Dam was formed. On August 16, 1961, the Ministry of the Aswan High Dam was established by republican decree. The Construction Department was established by the same decree. Moussa Arafa was appointed minister. In 1962, this post was taken by Aziz Mohammed Sidqi.
A Training Center was organized for all major construction and installation specialties, in which training was conducted according to the programs of the Soviet Union. Over the course of a year, 5 thousand people were trained at the training center. In total, about 100 thousand were trained during the construction period.
The day of the official opening of construction is January 9, 1960. On this day, the President of Egypt, pressing the red button on the explosive device remote control, exploded rock in the pit of future structures. On May 15, 1964, the Nile was blocked. On this day, the construction site was visited by Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, President of Algeria Ferhat Abbas and President of Iraq Abdul Salam Aref. The Upper Dam was completed on July 21, 1970, but the reservoir began to fill in 1964, when the first stage of construction of the dam was completed. The reservoir put many archaeological sites in danger of disappearing, so a rescue operation was undertaken under the auspices of UNESCO, as a result of which 24 major monuments were moved to safer places or transferred to countries that helped with the work (Temple of Debod in Madrid, Temple of Dendur (English) in New York, Temple of Tafis).
The grand opening and commissioning of the Aswan hydropower complex took place on January 15, 1971, with the participation of the President of the UAR Anwar Sadat, who cut the ribbon in the blue arch on the crest of the dam, and the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR N.V. Podgorny.
In mid-May 2014, Egypt widely celebrated the 50th anniversary of the damming of the Nile, a key event in the joint construction of the high-rise Aswan Dam. A representative delegation of the Russian public took part in the celebration. At the ceremonial meeting at the Cairo Opera, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlyab spoke, and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kirpichenko read a welcoming telegram from Russian President V.V. Putin to Interim President of Egypt Adly Mansour.
It turns out that the history of this grandiose hydroelectric complex began in the Ukrainian city of Zaporozhye. Soviet contractors of the Egyptian project built a miniature of the future Aswan Dam (50 times smaller) at the Right Bank quarry. For two years, the Dneprostroy company carried out all the necessary work, upon completion of which the necessary tests took place and the scientists chose a successful hydraulic option. More than 50 years have passed since that time, however, even now we can see the experimental construction of a dam on the territory of the Right Bank quarry of Zaporozhye.
Economic significance
After the construction of the Aswan hydroelectric complex, the negative consequences of the floods of 1964 and 1973, as well as the droughts of 1972-1973 and 1983-1984, were prevented. A significant number of fisheries have developed around Lake Nasser. At the time of the launch of the last unit in 1967, the hydroelectric complex generated more than half of all electricity in the country. 15% in 1988. .
The Aswan Dam is a grandiose hydraulic structure in Egypt, built on the Nile River in the southern part of the country, 13 kilometers from the city of Aswan, located on the first threshold of the Nile.
Aswan hydroelectric power station went down in history as one of the 10 large-scale and outstanding buildings of the 20th century. The dam rises 111 m above the reservoir (Lake Nasser), its length is 3.6 km, its width at the base reaches 980 m, at the upper edge - 40 m.
The Aswan hydroelectric complex is of great strategic importance for Egypt, therefore it is carefully protected by the state. Visit to the dam Possibly as part of tourist groups and with police permission.
A four-lane road is laid along the upper surface of the dam; travel by car is possible. The entrance to the dam portends triumphal arch. Installed at the western base of the dam monument of five large monoliths, resembling a lotus flower. This memorial was erected in honor of Soviet-Egyptian cooperation. On the eastern side of the dam there is museum, where a 15-meter model of the dam, plans for its construction and photographs dedicated to the rescue mission of historical monuments that were in danger of flooding are stored.
At the dam there is observation deck, from the height of which a picturesque panorama of Lake Nasser opens. This is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world with an area of 5244 square meters. km. and a length of more than 500 km. The lake was named after the President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, who led the country from 1956 to 1970.
Dam construction
The dam consists of two dams - the new "Aswan High Dam" and the old "Aswan Dam". The first dam was built by British specialists in 1902. But as it turned out, the height of the dam was not enough to hold back the waters of the Nile during rainy years. And then it was decided to build another dam, which was opened in 1971. This time the construction of a huge dam took place with the assistance of the Soviet Union.
Environmental issues
Thanks to the constructed dam, the problem of catastrophic floods during the Nile flood was solved and the country was provided with cheap electricity. In addition, it became possible to use the lake waters year-round for irrigating farmland. However, the shortsightedness of the designers of the Aswan Dam led to serious adverse environmental consequences. For example, the installation of the dam led to a decrease in the concentration of organic residues in the sedimentary silt that the Nile carried into the Mediterranean Sea. This has led to a decline in the population of some marine animals and a decrease in seafood catches in Egyptian territorial waters. Significant damage was caused to the soils around the Nile Delta - the salt content in the soil increased, as a result of which the fertility of the land decreased. Climate changes have occurred, precipitation has become more frequent, and air humidity has increased. The construction of the dam also affected the health of the population - cases of schistosomiasis (bilharzia) have become more frequent due to the proliferation of water snails in irrigation systems, which are carriers of parasitic worms that cause the disease. The new hydraulic structure has put many archaeological sites at risk of extinction. With the support of UNESCO, the main monuments were dismantled and moved to safe places (Temple of Isis, rock temples in Abu Simbel, colossi of Ramses II, etc.), and many were lost forever.
When it comes to the Aswan Dam, in most cases we mean the upper dam on the Nile River, located near the city of Aswan. Although in fact there are two dams in this area. These dams control the Egyptian portion of the Nile River and are also the base for the Aswan Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), which generates electricity for the Egyptian population. Since its construction in 1960, the Aswan Dam has been the subject of controversy. There are fears that the dam is causing irreparable damage to the environment, and opponents of the construction want to end its existence, even though the destruction of the dam would have dire consequences for Egypt.
The first dam, known as the Lower Aswan Dam, was built by the British in the late 19th century and was strengthened several times thereafter. The dam was built to control the flood power of the Nile River. For centuries, Egyptians lived along the banks of the Nile, farming and using the river's floodwaters to irrigate and fertilize their lands. As the population grew, unpredictable floods became a problem, resulting in the destruction of homes and loss of life. To control floods and avoid floods, the British authorities decided to build a dam.
The first Aswan Dam failed, and in the 1950s, several countries, including the United States, agreed to help the people of Egypt and build a new dam upstream. But later the countries that had agreed abandoned their promise, persuading the Egyptian authorities to turn to the USSR for help, and only after that the construction of the upper Aswan Dam began.
As a result of the construction of the dam, the areas located upstream faced massive flooding of land, forced relocation of people and significant damage to some invaluable archaeological sites and excavations. The lake formed in front of the dam was given the name “Nasser”, in honor of the second president of Egypt. The Egyptians understood that flooded areas were a price to pay for the ability to control annual floods and a constant supply of hydroelectric power.
Over the years, Egypt has faced several problems as a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Due to the accumulation of river silt in front of the dam, the capacity of Lake Nasser is reduced, and the lack of sufficient silt in the waters after the dam forces farmers living on those lands to use artificial chemical fertilizers. The constant flow of the river and the lack of an influx of fresh silt cause erosion of the riverbed and greatly erode the banks of the Nile, and the reproduction of river life in the river delta has been greatly reduced. Also associated with the appearance of the Upper Aswan Dam are the observed signs of an increase in salt concentration in the Mediterranean Sea, which in turn affects fisheries.
1) I dreamed of seeing the Aswan Dam (السد العالي) since I was in grades 10-11, when I read about it in General History lessons from Nikita Zagladin’s textbook. Fortunately, studying at Cairo University gave me the opportunity to get there with fellow students from RUDN University and Kazan University. For me, the fact is that it is precisely to the south of the dam that crocodiles begin to live, which did not survive to the north for 960 km downstream of the Nile before it flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
2) The Nile originates at the lake. Victoria in the south of the African continent. Flowing north to the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides it into western and eastern parts, crossing Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and ending with Egypt on its way. Each of these states has its own interests in the use of its water resources. Without a reservoir, the Nile overflowed its banks every year during the summer, overflowing with the flow of water from eastern Africa. These floods carried fertile silt and minerals that made the soil around the Nile fertile and ideal for agriculture. As the population along the river's banks grew, there was a need to control the flow of water to protect farmland and cotton fields. The average annual flow of the Nile in the area of Sudan and Egypt is estimated at 84 billion cubic meters. The average annual flow of the river is subject to significant fluctuations. The decrease in runoff in some years reaches 45 billion cubic meters, which leads to droughts, an increase to 150 billion cubic meters. causes floods. In a high-water year, entire fields could be completely washed away, while in a low-water year, famine due to drought was widespread. The purpose of this water project was to prevent floods, provide Egypt with electricity, and create a network of irrigation canals for agriculture. 
3) Help for engineers.
A special feature of the hydroelectric station is the design of the spillways with the water exiting not under the water level of the downstream canal, but into the atmosphere with a jet discharge at a distance of 120-150 meters from the hydroelectric power station building. The water flow rate released by 12 spillways reaches 5000 m³ per second. The energy of the flow is extinguished due to the rise of the jet 30 m above the water level of the tailwater and subsequent fall into a channel about 20 m deep. For the first time in world practice, such a solution was used during the construction of the Kuibyshev hydroelectric station.
The Aswan High Dam consists of 3 sections. The right-bank and left-bank sections of the dam, 30 m high, have a rocky base, the channel section is 550 m long, 111 m high, and has a sandy base. The thickness of the sand at the base is 130 meters. The dam was built in an existing reservoir 35 meters deep without damming or draining the foundation. The dam has a flattened profile and is built from local materials. The core and rim of the dam are made of so-called Aswan clay. 
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7) The day of the official opening of construction is January 9, 1960. On this day, the President of Egypt, pressing the red button on the explosive device remote control, exploded rock in the pit of future structures. On May 15, 1964, the Nile was blocked. On this day, the construction site was visited by Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, President of Algeria Ferhat Abbas and President of Iraq Abdul Salam Aref. The Upper Dam was completed on July 21, 1970, but the reservoir began to fill in 1964, when the first stage of construction of the dam was completed. 
8) The grand opening and commissioning of the Aswan hydropower complex took place on January 15, 1971 with the participation of the President of the UAR Anwar Sadat, who cut the ribbon in the blue arch on the crest of the dam, and the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR N.V. Podgorny.
The history of this grandiose hydroelectric complex began in the Ukrainian city of Zaporozhye. Soviet contractors of the Egyptian project built a miniature of the future Aswan Dam (50 times smaller) at the Right Bank quarry. For two years, the Dneprostroy company carried out all the necessary work, upon completion of which the necessary tests took place and the scientists chose a successful hydraulic option. More than 50 years have passed since that time, however, even now we can see the experimental construction of a dam on the territory of the Right Bank quarry of Zaporozhye. 
9) After the construction of the Aswan hydroelectric complex, the negative consequences of the floods of 1964 and 1973, as well as the droughts of 1972-1973 and 1983-1984, were prevented. A significant number of fisheries have developed around Lake Nasser. At the time of the launch of the last unit in 1967, the hydroelectric complex generated more than half of all electricity in the country. 15% in 1988. 
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11) Russian students in Aswan before the forced march to the Aswan Dam. 
12) How did the day begin then? Having visited Philae Island, we all realized that the Aswan Dam is 11 km away. At first we wanted to walk, then a taxi driver picked us up and took us to the beginning of the waterworks. The picture shows an old English dam and beyond that the Nile River. 
13) Hydroelectric power station of the Great Dam. 
14) So, Firuza. 
15) "Smirnova Margarita Yuryevna." Rita, if you read the text, you will immediately understand where it all comes from. 
16) Arslan. 
17) In 1966, the Egyptian Government allocated money to hold an international competition for the design of the Monument of Friendship between the Arab and Soviet Peoples, the so-called. "The Flower of Aswan", installed in 1975. The five petals of the flower rise 75 meters high, and at a height of 46 meters they are united by a ring of an observation deck, where up to 6 people can stay at the same time and can be reached using an elevator. 
