Kitchener's Island

Kitchener's Island (now locally known in Arabic as Geziret an-Nabatat, which translates as "island of plants") is a small, oval-shaped island in the Nile at Aswan, Egypt.

A palm-lined alley on Kitchener's Island

History

The island was given to Lord Kitchener as a thank-you for his services in the Sudan Campaign (1896-1898).

With the aid of the Ministry of Irrigation, Kitchener rapidly transformed the small (approx. 750-meter-long) island into a paradise of exotic trees and plants and carefully planned walkways. It later passed into the property of the Egyptian government and was used as a research station for examining different food and cash crops. Today, a biological research station is present at the southern tip, which is closed to visitors.

Location

Kitchener's Island is one of two major islands on the Nile in vicinity of Aswan, the other one being Elephantine. Elephantine is much larger than Kitchener's Island and located between Kitchener's Island and the city of Aswan (east bank). Thus, it is hard to see the smaller Kitchener's Island from the city.

Nowadays, the island as a whole constitutes a botanical garden. It is particularly popular among the local people and tourists as a spot for weekend picnics or for a quiet afternoon away from the noise of the city. It can be reached by felucca, motorboat or one of local ferries.