an ancient city on the Nile in Egypt; site of the Aswan High Dam

Aswan (Egyptian: Swenet (=trade); Coptic: Swān; Greek: Syene; Arabic: أسوان Aswān) (, population 200,000) is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate. It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist center.