Elephantine Island
Elephantine Island is the largest of the Aswan area islands, and is one
of the most ancient sites in Egypt, with artifacts dating to predynastic
periods. This is probably due to its location at the first Cataract of the
Nile, which provided a natural boundary between Egypt and Nubia.
As an island,
it was also easily defensible. In fact, the ancient town located in the
southern part of the island was also a fortress through much of it's history.
At one time, there was a bridge from the mainland to the island.