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The Ancient Egyptians called it Swen, and considered it to be not only the end of the world, but also the sacred source of the Nile and granite from which they built most of their temples. For centuries, Aswan was the gateway to Africa and the lands of Nubia. The Copts called it Souan, meaning 'trade', from which the present-day Aswan is derived. In time of the Ptolemies, and ancient Egyptians, the town of Syene stood south-west of the present-day city. Syene was situated on the island of Yeb, or today's Elephantine Island, it was a major trade center with Nubia and the rest of Africa. Caravans, camel trade, gold and ivory markets, where traded there up until Islamic times. The word Yeb, is Nubian for 'elephant', therefore the Greeks called the island Elephantine Island. Yeb was where most of the ivory and gold trading would take place. Due to its strategic location, Aswan was chosen as the first capital of Upper Egypt, and the Ptolemies used it as a base to enter Nubia, Sudan and Central Africa, and it was they who built the beautiful Temple of Philae. Throughout history, from Pharaonic to Islamic, governments have been sending troops to Aswan in order to protect Egypt from any southern invasions.
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